On August 2, 2024, a deputy from Lake County was killed and two others were injured in an ambush shooting in Eustis, Florida. The shooting occurred around 8 p.m.
The incident began when deputies responded to a disturbance call and were directed to a second house, where they encountered Julie Sulpizio, who was acting erratically and making religious statements. As deputies tried to subdue Sulpizio, her husband Michael, wearing body armor, and their two daughters, Cheyenne and Savannah, opened fire from inside the house, killing Master Deputy Bradley Link and injuring Master Deputy Harold Howell and Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano. A standoff ensued, and the Sulpizio family members were later found dead, with Cheyenne and Savannah having apparently died by suicide, and Michael Sulpizio succumbing to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The deceased officer, Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Link was only 28. He joined the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in October 2019, after serving in the Army Reserves and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Peyton Grinnell honored Link as a cherished member of the team whose contributions will not be forgotten.
The incident also resulted in the injury of two other deputies. Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano, 28, underwent surgery and was in serious condition after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in his abdomen, armpit, and groin. The second deputy, Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell, 41, was hit in the shoulder and was reported to be in stable condition.
When SWAT teams arrived, they met significant resistance from within the residence. According to Sheriff Grinnell, the team had to “tear apart the home” to rescue a Deputy Link, who was trapped inside. The SWAT team eventually rescued Link, but he later died from his injuries. The house was described as a fortified dwelling filled with firearms, ammunition, and anti-government materials, indicating a level of preparation and motive by the suspects.
The three dead suspects involved in the shooting were Michael Sulpizio, 49, and his adopted daughters, Savannah, 23, and Cheyenne Sulpizio, 22.
Julie Sulpizio, 48, Michael’s wife and the girls’ mother, was at first taken for a psychological evaluation and suspected to be the source of the disturbance. She is now being held on murder charges. It was reported that she attacked people and thought her neighbors were pedophiles; the police believe she was trying to lure the neighbors into her house to have her husband kill them. The police interrupted the plan and were ambushed. Local resident Austin Humphrey recalled, “She was talking about how she was hell and God’s wife, and we were all demons, and our dogs were hell hounds and all of this, and it was just a crazy and insane moment.” She also shot and killed the family’s two dogs, which she believed were “vessels for Lucifer.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident, which marks the first deputy death in the community since February 2005. Investigators are processing the scene and conducting witness interviews to piece together the events leading up to this deadly ambush.
GoFundMe pages have been established to help cover the funeral expenses for Master Deputy Link and the medical expenses for Deputy Gargano and his family. Link is survived by his wife, Brittany, and his parents, Christi and Daniel. He has been remembered by those who knew him for his dedication to his duty and his service to the community.
