SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Funeral arrangements are underway for the victims of a murder-suicide that began in Fort Lauderdale and ended in Sarasota, claiming the lives of seven people including the alleged gunman.
As families begin planning their final goodbyes, they are sharing memories of their loved ones whose lives were cut short.
“There’s no justice for this type of thing,” said Elder Greinert, whose mother was among the victims.
The shooting spree began Tuesday when authorities say gunman Russell Kot killed 46-year-old Larisa Blyudaya and her son, 18-year-old Ben Azizov, inside their Fort Lauderdale home. Investigators say Kot lived with Blyudaya before they separated last year.
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After leaving South Florida, investigators say Kot drove to Sarasota, where he killed three of Blyudaya’s family members and Olga Greinert.
Greinert, a 49-year-old mother of three, was just one week shy of her 50th birthday.
“It’s all you. You’re never going to be able to see your mom again, so it’s tough,” Elder Greinert said, adding that he wants to keep his mother’s legacy alive.
“It would be nice, you know, if more people knew what kind of person she was, what kind of impact she had on the world, on the people, you know,” he said.
Another family member described one of the victims as a “great mother, great wife” who “really left our children.”
The violence may have ended, but for the families left behind, the healing is only just beginning.
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