A mother ran into a burning trailer in Florida to try to save her two children, who authorities later determined had been murdered, WEAR ABC 3 News reported.
“She went into the trailer trying to get them. That’s a mother’s love,” neighbor John Wenzel told the outlet.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old were found dead after a “tragic” fire on Friday. The sheriff’s office said its investigators determined the fire was “intentionally set after the children were killed.”
John Henry Walston, Jr. is accused of assaulting one of the children before killing them both and setting the trailer on fire. He is charged with two counts of premeditated murder, one count of sexual assault on a victim under 12 and one count of arson.
Why It Matters
The case has deeply shaken the Escambia County community, with the sheriff’s office calling the incident “a heartbreaking and senseless act of violence.”
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to these children and their families during this unimaginable time,” the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
What To Know
Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies and Escambia County Fire and Rescue responded to the fire on Friday.
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said Walston escaped the fire and was treated at a hospital.
“We worked with our medical examiner’s office and what we found, unfortunately, was that the 7-year-old and 9-year-old, these children, were not killed because of the fire. One was sexually assaulted and both were killed before the fire started,” Simmons said in a video posted on Facebook.
The children’s mother was also taken to a local hospital to be treated for her injuries, WEAR ABC 3 News reported.
Tyler Smith, the father of the 7-year-old and stepfather of the 9-year-old, told the outlet that the children were staying at Walston’s home at the time.
“How can you expect any human being to do this?” Smith said. “Let alone an adult with two kids.”
What People Are Saying
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons, in a video posted on Facebook: “I don’t know what else I can say about this terrible event, except for please, hug your children.”
Neighbor John Wenzel, in comments to WEAR ABC 3 News: “The trailer was totally involved inside. That’s why she’s in the Mobile Burn Center. She went inside the house trying to get her kids, but too hot. They finally got her out of there.”
What Happens Next
Walston is being held without bond in the Escambia County Correctional Facility. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 26, according to jail records.
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