LAKE COUNTY, FLA. — What began with a call about a woman screaming and running from a man ended with two people dead and police ambushed in a six-hour standoff Wednesday.
Clermont Police have identified the man and woman killed in the apparent murder suicide as a couple that recently moved to Cottonwood Apartments at 1700 Hooks St., from Nashville, Tenn. The woman has been identified as Sarah Dale and the shooter as Christian Steeler Filson, 28.
“This was a truly terrible incident, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families,” Chief Charles Broadway said.
Police received the call about the screaming at 3:24 p.m. outside Apartment 12. “They began to conduct a well-being check but received no response from inside,” Broadway said.
They found Dale inside, dead from a gunshot wound.
Officers continued to announce their presence as they made their way up the stairs where they observed additional blood and evidence of a struggle. They forced open an interior door and Filson opened fire.
“We believe this to be an ambush,” Chief Broadway said. “They returned fire and did a tactical reset.”
Attempts by negotiators to communicate with the shooter or any other occupants were not successful.
Filson was arrested for aggravated battery and reckless endangerment by discharging a firearm in a 2017 Tennessee incident. He has no known criminal involvement in Florida.
Other law enforcement agencies that aided in the standoff were the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg, Groveland and Mount Dora police departments as well as fire and EMS personnel from Clermont and Lake County.
Police have released body cam video at https://nextcloud.clermontfl.org/index.php/s/dqadd6dCmC8NLQw