Man allegedly kills his girlfriend, her 3 kids in 'senseless' mass shooting

The victims were ages 40, 21, 17 and 11.

May 3, 2023, 12:11 PM

A man allegedly killed his girlfriend and her three children in a "senseless" mass shooting in a Florida apartment, according to authorities.

On Tuesday night, after family members called 911, officers responded to the Sunrise Apartments in Lake Wales and found a mother, her son and two daughters shot dead, police said.

The victims were ages 40, 21, 17 and 11, according to police.

A mom and her three kids were killed in mass shooting at an apartment in Lake Wales, Fla., on May 2, 2023.
WFTS

Al Stenson allegedly shot them in the apartment around 5 a.m. Tuesday and then fled, according to police.

The motive is unknown, police said.

"Completely senseless. It makes absolutely no sense," Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez said at a news conference.

A mom and her three kids were killed in mass shooting at an apartment in Lake Wales, Fla., on May 2, 2023.
WFTS
A mom and her three kids were killed in mass shooting at an apartment in Lake Wales, Fla., on May 2, 2023.
WFTS

When authorities tracked the 38-year-old Stenson to the Slumberland Motel in Sanford, "Stenson made statements that he would kill himself or force law enforcement to kill him," police said in a statement.

An hourslong standoff and negotiations ended with an officer-involved shooting, police said.

He was "going" for a gun on the ground when four officers opened fire, "neutralizing the threat," authorities said at a news conference.

Stenson was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

ABC News' Robinson Perez contributed to this report.

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