SARASOTA, Fla. — Sarasota County sheriff’s deputies have identified four victims and a suspect in a Tuesday shooting, which investigators think is connected to a double homicide in Fort Lauderdale.
The suspect, 51-year-old Russell Kot, died from a self-inflicted wound at the scene in the Amberlea neighborhood.
The shooting took place on February 10 near Proctor and McIntosh Roads. The investigation spans multiple jurisdictions after a suspect vehicle was recorded on camera heading north through Punta Gorda prior to the Sarasota incident.
The Emergency Operations Center received a 911 call at 12:24 p.m. reporting a man shot at a home in the Amberlea neighborhood. When deputies arrived minutes later, they found neighbors performing CPR on the victim in the front yard.
Deputies moved the man to a different location to transfer care to the Sarasota County Fire Department, where he was soon pronounced dead.
Worried for the safety of the man’s wife, deputies entered the residence. Inside, they found four more deceased adults: two men and two women.
Authorities identified the victims as
- 49-year-old Olga Greinert,
- 66-year-old Florita Stolyar,
- 61-year-old Anatoly Ioffe
- 39-year-old Yaroslav Blyudoy
The investigation into the killings turned toward South Florida after detectives got information from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Fort Lauderdale officials said they were handling a separate double homicide case and thought the Sarasota shooting was connected.
Surveillance footage showed the suspect vehicle heading north through Punta Gorda after the Fort Lauderdale incident but before the Sarasota shootings.
An initial investigation into the 51-year-old Kot revealed no documented mental health crises or history of violence. Detectives have not yet identified a motive for the shootings. The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to establish a link between the victims and the suspect.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced that additional details will be provided as they become available.
Authorities encourage anyone with information about the incident to contact the Criminal Investigations Bureau at 941-861-4900.
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