A normally quiet gated neighborhood in Sarasota, Florida, became the site of the county’s deadliest single day of violence when a gunman killed four people and then himself on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The attack, which was tied to an earlier double homicide in Fort Lauderdale, resulted in seven deaths across two cities within just a few hours.

Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call around 12:24 p.m. at a home on the 4820 block of Fallcrest Circle in the Amberlea community. A neighbor had reported that an adult man had been shot in the front yard. When deputies got to the scene, neighbors were attempting CPR on the victim, who later died after being taken for emergency treatment.

Concerned that more people might be in danger, deputies entered the residence and found four more deceased individuals inside—two men and two women. Authorities identified 51-year-old Russell Kot as the suspected shooter, noting that he took his own life after killing the other victims. Each person had been shot multiple times, and investigators recovered over 20 shell casings from the home.

The sheriff’s office later named the Sarasota victims as Olga Greinert, 49; Yaroslav “Stan” Blyudoy, 39; Florita “Rita” Stolyar, 66; and her husband Anatoly “Tony” Ioffe, 61. Investigators believe Kot first killed Greinert and Blyudoy, then stayed inside the home until Stolyar and Ioffe returned, at which point he fatally shot them as well.

As deputies were processing the Sarasota scene, they were contacted by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department regarding a double homicide that appeared to be connected. Fort Lauderdale officers had responded around 1:30 p.m. to a wellness check and discovered 46-year-old Larisa Blyudaya and her 18-year-old son, Ben Azizov, dead inside a Victoria Park home. Detectives determined that Kot had killed them before driving more than 200 miles north to Sarasota.

According to investigators, Kot had moved from Illinois to Fort Lauderdale in the fall of 2025 and lived with Larisa Blyudaya—the daughter of victim Florita Stolyar—until the pair separated later that year. Kot had previously spent time at the Sarasota residence or helped care for the family’s pets in the months before the incident, and he had met Greinert, a family friend who assisted with household cleaning, at least once at the home.

Surveillance footage captured Kot’s vehicle heading north through Punta Gorda prior to the Sarasota killings. Additional video recorded his car entering the Amberlea neighborhood at around 11:01 a.m., more than an hour before the 911 call was made. A neighbor’s security system picked up the sound of gunshots shortly after he arrived.

Investigators searched Kot’s vehicle and found a troubling collection of weapons and supplies: two handguns, ammunition, five knives, rope, tape, and an axe. These items were in addition to the two handguns he carried into the home. After killing Greinert and Blyudoy, Kot sent a suicidal text to family members and then remained in the house until Stolyar and Ioffe came home.

As a precaution, the sheriff’s office temporarily placed several nearby schools on lockdown, including Sarasota Middle School, Suncoast Technical College, Suncoast Polytechnical High School, Wilkinson Elementary School, and Ashton Elementary School. The lockdowns were lifted about 15 minutes later once deputies confirmed there was no ongoing threat.

Deputies established a media staging area at Bee Ridge Presbyterian Church, located about a block from the scene. Law enforcement maintained a strong presence throughout the afternoon, checking residents’ identification at the gated entrance to ensure only those who lived there could enter the area.

David Hannon, who lives directly across from the home, told reporters he heard unmistakable gunfire around midday. “I heard 5 distinct sounds and I recognized as gunshots,” Hannon told FOX 13.

According to a Sarasota Herald-Tribune review, the five deaths in the Amberlea home constitute the deadliest violent incident ever recorded in Sarasota County. Previous homicide cases typically involved one or two victims, occasionally three, but never four or more at once.

The sheriff’s office stated that the residence had been the subject of two previous 911 calls, though they did not detail what those calls involved. Investigators found no indications of forced entry. Authorities also noted that Kot had no documented history of violence or mental health issues.

Cellphone data revealed no clear triggering event involving Blyudaya or her family in the lead-up to the killings. Detectives continue to search for a motive spanning both counties. In a statement issued on February 12, the victims’ relatives described the tragedy as “a devastating loss” and said they are “navigating urgent and overwhelming practical matters.”