The woman told authorities that they had a conversation. And decided that if he “continued to take a turn for the worse that she wanted him to end it.”
A 76-year-old woman is accused of fatally shooting. Her ailing husband in Daytona Beach, Florida. After a deal police said the couple made several weeks ago.
When the police arrived, Ellen Gilland was barricaded in her husband. Jerry Gilland’s 11th floor apartment. Daytona Police Chief Zachary Young said at a news conference. That law enforcement used a device to distract the woman. “To get her to put that gun down long enough for us to hit her less lethally.” He was taken into custody and faces charges of first-degree murder.
The woman told authorities that because of her husband’s health issues. They had a conversation about three weeks ago and decided. That if he “took a turn for the worse that she wanted him to end it,” Young said.
And then he would turn the gun on himself but decided he couldn’t go through with it,” he told reporters.
Yang said the 11th floor is for terminally ill patients. And praised officials for getting people out safely.
“It was a bit of a logistical nightmare, which is why again I’m very, very proud of my team,” he said. “Almost all the patients on that floor are on ventilators so they didn’t have room to evacuate. That entire floor, so they evacuated the rooms where it was most important to get them out of the way.” The facility is part of Altamonte Springs. Florida-based AdventHealth’s nine-state system focused on medical care.
At the AdvenHealth Daytona Beach campus. And our prayers go out to those affected,” the nonprofit health care system said in a statement.
It also thanked police for helping to keep patients, staff and visitors safe on Saturday.
Young called the incident “tragic” and urged anyone struggling to get help.
“It just goes to show that none of us are immune to life’s trials and tribulations,” the chief said.
