Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Michael Link of the Lake County (Florida) Sheriff's Office was ambushed and killed Friday night.Lake County SO
A Lake County (Florida) Sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed Friday night responding to a disturbance. Two other deputies were wounded in the attack.
Arriving on scene, deputies found the back door kicked in and heard a disturbance inside the residence. Upon entering the home, deputies were met with "a hail of gunfire," Sheriff Peyton C. Grinnell said. Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Michael Link, 28, was struck and trapped inside the home and later died, Fox 35 reports.
The two wounded deputies have been identified as Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell, 41, who was shot in the arm, and Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano, who was hit multiple times and seriously wounded. He remained hospitalized and in critical condition Monday.
Gargano was reportedly part of a unit that was sent into the home to rescue Master Deputy Link.
A GoFundMe has been created for Deputy Gargano.
Two people were also found dead inside the home, and a third person was taken to the hospital, though their condition was unknown.
Sheriff Grinnell said it was not immediately clear how the people inside the home died–whether they were killed due to a possible murder-suicide or killed by deputies returning fire.
They have not been publicly identified.
Master Deputy Link is survived by his wife.
