Three friends were fatally beaten and shot when they gathered at a lake in Central Florida for night fishing on Friday, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
During a media briefing on Saturday morning near Lake Streety where the bodies were found, Judd identified the three victims as Damion Tillman, 23, Keven Springfield, 30, and Brandon Rollins, 27.
Describing the triple killings as a “massacre,” Judd said, “This is a horrific scene. I’ve been to a lot of murder scenes in my life, and this ranks among the worst.”
According to Judd, investigators believe Tillman arrived at the lake first on Friday night to meet his friends for “night fishing” for catfish. When Rollins and Springfield arrived, they saw Tillman being beaten and were shot at by the attackers.
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Rollins initially survived the attack and was able to call his father for help, Judd said. Rollins’ father quickly arrived at the scene to help his son, but forgot his cell phone, so he drove to a nearby convenience store and had the clerk help him call authorities.
By the time authorities arrived at the scene, Tillman, Springfield, and Rollins were all dead. “These folks appear to be beaten and shot. … We are seeking leads, we need help so we can solve this crime sooner rather than later,” Judd said.
Judd did not say during the media briefing if authorities have identified any suspects, but noted that his department is offering a $5,000 for any information leading to the capture of the attackers.
He also said investigators believe more than one person was involved in the triple homicide.