PLANT CITY, Fla. — Gun violence has shaken the Plant City community following a quadruple murder on May 3 that took the lives of a 27-year-old mother, her grandmother, and two children, and several subsequent shootings in the days that followed.
Residents gathered on Mother's Day to honor the lives lost. Plant City resident Desiree Lamb expressed the community's sorrow.
"Our hearts go out to the families - it's just such a horrible thing," Lamb said.
Watch report from Annette Gutierrez
While many mothers in attendance were grieving, they also said they were outraged. And, they told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez that they're turning these emotions into action by calling for more transparency at Monday's city commission meeting.
Plant City Police have not announced any arrests in the murder investigation, more than a week after the killings, which took the lives of three generations of family members.
Through property records along with neighbor and church identification, Tampa Bay 28 independently verified the 27-year-old mother as Hailey Dempsey.
Ariel Woods, a family acquaintance who went on weekly playdates with the family for almost a year, said Dempsey was the epitome of a great mother.
"She was an attentive mother, a caring mother. She always had eyes on them - and you could just see she cared about her girls so much - truly just heartwarming to see all their interactions," Woods said. "She is just a mama bear - she did what she had to do to get those babies to safety and she did all she could."
Woods said the community deserves more from law enforcement — especially since there were at least two more reported shootings following these murders. Plant City Police said there was a shooting on Friday at Alabama Street and Lincoln Street, and on Saturday at Baker Street and Thonotosassa Road.
"It's a scary time and I feel we deserve answers from the police enforcement and law enforcement and we're not getting any," Woods said.
Resident Hayley Milks echoed that frustration, calling for accountability and a clearer picture of what happened leading up to the murders.
"It's very frustrating. It's disheartening," Milks said. "What we're really asking is for a timeline, warning signs, and what could have been done to prevent something like this happening, considering there was a history of domestic violence at that household."
Tampa Bay 28 obtained an incident report detailing a domestic argument at the home where the murders happened less than 48 hours later. Plant City Police said they do not have a domestic violence unit, so several residents are calling for one to be added.
"We're asking for communication and stronger domestic violence responses, and real accountability just moving forward," Milks said.
City Manager Bill McDaniel released a statement saying the city understands the community's concerns and that police are working around the clock get answers.
The recent violent incidents in our community have understandably caused concern among residents, and our hearts remain with the victims and families affected by these tragedies.
It is important for the public to understand that these incidents are separate and unrelated events currently under active investigation by our police department and partner agencies.
Based on the information developed thus far, these cases do not represent random acts of violence directed at the general public. In each case, investigators have rapidly developed significant leads and are actively working to build strong, prosecutable cases supported by forensic evidence, witness statements, and investigative analysis.
Our police department is working around the clock in coordination with the State Attorney’s Office and regional law enforcement partners. While we understand the desire for additional details, premature release of investigative information can compromise witness testimony, contaminate evidence, hinder future prosecutions, and ultimately jeopardize justice for victims and their families.
We will continue providing information as it can responsibly be released without harming these ongoing investigations.
Plant City remains a safe community, and our law enforcement personnel are fully engaged in protecting the public while pursuing accountability in each of these cases.
A police department spokesperson echoed that sentiment, saying they do not want to compromise the case.
This is still an active investigation.
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Plant City community mourns quadruple murder victims, demands answers
Neighbors gathered at McCall Park in Plant City on Mother's Day to mourn two mothers and two children killed in a quadruple murder one week ago.
