Police said Patrick Dell, 41, shot dead his estranged wife, Natasha Whyte-Dell, 36, and four of her children before taking his own life. The slain children have been identified as Javon Nelson, 11, Daniel Barnett, 10, Bryan Barnett, 14, and Diane Barnett, 13.
The shootings occurred around 2 a.m. An officer investigating a suspicious vehicle heard the gunshots. When he approached the home, Dell exited the residence and shot himself, police said.
A fifth child remains hospitalized due to a gunshot wound. A spokesperson for the police department told AOL News the victim is in stable condition. The Palm Beach Post identified the wounded youngster as Ryan Barnett, 15.
Two additional children, ages 1 and 3, were not harmed during the shooting spree. Those two children are believed to be the couple's biological children.
Court records obtained by the Post show that Whyte-Dell had a restraining order against her husband. In a May filing, she said Dell had warned that her "last days would be bitter." She also said he had chased her with a knife and slashed the tires on her car.
A neighbor, Keisha Gordon, told The Associated Press she saw a drunken Dell hanging out at a local club on Sunday night.
"He was talking about chopping up somebody," Gordon said.
"He always felt like people was against him," she added.
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