Plant City police have identified 28-year-old Hailey Megan Dempsey as the person investigators say killed her mother, 55-year-old Valerie DeBoe, and two of her children on May 3. Authorities say Hailey shot DeBoe inside the family home, then walked to a nearby property and, from behind bushes, fatally shot 4-year-old Belle and 4-month-old Kelsey. A 2-year-old sibling survived physically unharmed. Neighbors reported disturbances in the days before the killings, including a report of a man putting on a bulletproof vest.
Plant City Mother Identified in May Killings of Grandmother and Two Children; 2-Year-Old Survives
Kelsey Dempsey (left); Valerie DeBoe; and Belle Dempsey.Credit: GoFundMe
Plant City, Fla. — Authorities have publicly identified 28-year-old Hailey Megan Dempsey as the person investigators say was responsible for the May 3 killings that left three members of the same family dead and a toddler physically unharmed.
According to an updated statement from the Plant City Police Department, investigators say Hailey first shot and killed her mother, 55-year-old Valerie DeBoe, inside the family home. She then left on foot with her three children and walked to a separate property on the same street.
Police say the suspect concealed herself and the children behind a stand of bushes and small trees in the front yard before opening fire. At that location, 4-year-old Belle Dempsey and 4-month-old Kelsey Dempsey were fatally shot. Authorities say the shooter attempted to shoot a 2-year-old sibling but missed; that child was found at the scene physically unharmed. Hailey was located alive after the incidents and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
What Investigators Have Said
The victims were later identified via a GoFundMe page and the Gun Violence Memorial. Plant City investigators described the inquiry as a months-long effort that led them to conclude Hailey carried out the attacks and then turned the gun on herself.
Community Reports
A neighbor on the block, John Czarniak, told local media he had observed disturbances at the home in the days prior to the killings. Czarniak said a disagreement at the residence prompted a 911 call two days earlier and that he had seen an individual put on a bulletproof vest and load a large duffel bag into a car.
"We noticed him putting on a bulletproof vest and then loading a large duffel bag into the trunk of his car," Czarniak said.
Police have not confirmed the identity of the man described by the neighbor or whether he is connected to the investigation.
Remembering Valerie "Gigi" DeBoe
Community tributes described DeBoe as a devoted grandmother affectionately known to her grandchildren as "Gigi." A GoFundMe established after the deaths called her a beloved friend, wife, mother, grandmother, mentor and community leader.
The Plant City Police Department continues to investigate and has asked anyone with information to contact detectives. The department’s update was issued on Aug. 13.
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