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Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale Rocked by Apparent Murder-Suicide Spree
Authorities have identified Russell Kot, 51, as the man responsible for a shooting spree that left six people dead across two Florida properties before he ultimately took his own life. The tragic events unfolded in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale, leaving communities reeling.
According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Kot had a prior romantic relationship with one of the victims in Fort Lauderdale, and that individual was connected to the victims in Sarasota. This suggests a deeply personal motive behind the horrific acts.
The initial alarm was raised early Tuesday afternoon in Sarasota’s Amberlea neighborhood. Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a male shot.
Upon arrival, neighbors were actively performing CPR on the victim in his front yard. Despite their efforts and the subsequent transfer to the Sarasota County Fire Department, the male was pronounced dead.
Fearing for the safety of the victim’s wife, deputies entered the residence, where they discovered four additional deceased adults: two females and two males.
As detectives worked to identify the victims and potential suspect, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) contacted them, revealing they were investigating a double homicide and believed it was connected to the Sarasota shooting. FLPD provided critical suspect vehicle information, indicating the vehicle was captured traveling northbound through Punta Gorda after their homicide, prior to the events in Sarasota.
Working with Amberlea HOA representatives and neighbors, detectives recovered video footage showing the suspect’s vehicle entering the neighborhood at 11:01 a.m. The chilling sound of gunfire was captured shortly after on a neighbor’s Ring camera. Approximately 37 minutes later, the male victim found in the front lawn was seen entering the neighborhood in his vehicle, only to be shot as he approached his front door.
Kot was later found dead inside the Sarasota home. The victims in Sarasota were identified as Olga Greinert, 49, Florita Stolyar, 66, Anatoly Ioffe, 61, and Yaroslav Blyudoy, 39.
Preliminary investigations suggest Kot died from self-inflicted wounds. Authorities have stated there were no known documented mental health crises or history of violence associated with him, and his specific motivation for targeting the Sarasota victims remains unknown.
In Fort Lauderdale’s Victoria Park neighborhood, the victims were identified as Larisa Blyudaya, 48, and Ben Azivov, 18. Joe Askerberg, the property manager of their home, told NBC Miami that they were a mother and son. Askerberg expressed his profound grief, describing Larisa as “so bubbly and never negative; she was always in good spirits.”
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department has not yet provided further comment on the ongoing investigation.