![Sheriff Robert Schultz, second from left, at a news conference after the Bell shooting. Photo: Matt Stamey Sheriff Robert Schultz, second from left, at a news conference after the Bell shooting. Photo: Matt Stamey](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/04b5af2f-58d7-4dd4-835d-3589f6ca67d2.jpg/r0_0_729_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
![An officer lowers police tape to let cars through at the scene of the shooting in Bell, Florida. Photo: Matt Stamey An officer lowers police tape to let cars through at the scene of the shooting in Bell, Florida. Photo: Matt Stamey](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/24d993c5-6266-42ef-97c7-16284ece2d93.jpg/r0_0_729_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A man has shot and killed his daughter and six grandchildren in the small north Florida town of Bell, in what authorities have called a murder-suicide, according to media reports.
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Gilchrist County Sheriff's Robert Schultz identified the gunman as Don Spirit, 51, CNN reports.
Everyone in the house was killed, Sheriff Schultz said.
"I haven't seen anything like this at all," he told a press conference.
"This county, this community is going to be devastated from this. It is a small county, we are all family here.
"We're asking for prayers for this community and the families involved."
The sheriff told reporters the children ranged in age from 3 months to 10 years. He didn't name the daughter or the grandchildren because not every relative had been notified of their deaths.
Police said Spirit, who called 911 around 4pm local time, killed himself after a police officer arrived on the scene.
Police had previously responded to calls from the home, owned by Spirit, on "numerous" occasions, officials said.
Spirit, a New Jersey native, had an extensive criminal history, public records show, including convictions for possession of illegal weapons, battery and depriving a child of food and shelter.
In 2001, Spirit shot his 8-year-old son to death in what was determined to be a hunting accident, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper reported.
He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in connection with the case and was sentenced in a plea deal to three years in prison, the paper reported in 2003.
Officials would not disclose what kind of firearm was used.
Sources said the shootings occurred north of the town of Bell.
Reports: Possible mass shooting west of Gainesville //t.co/k2VzQP5KoQ (Photo via @BecharaReports) pic.twitter.com/K2whtvvxbj — FCN2go (@FCN2go) September 18, 2014
Bell is a small town of several hundred people about 50 kilometres west of Gainesville, the largest city in the state's central north.
- with agencies
For help or information visit beyondblue.org.au, call Suicide Helpline Victoria on 1300 651 251, or Lifeline on 131 114.