TRENTON, Florida -- Two Florida deputies eating at a Chinese restaurant died Thursday afternoon when a gunman shot them through a window, authorities said.
Sgt. Noel Ramirez, 29, and Deputy Taylor Lindsey, 25, were sitting down at the restaurant when the gunman standing outside opened fire through a window, officials said.
Ramirez and Lindsey were pronounced dead at the scene, Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz said.
The shooting happened about 3 p.m. at the Ace China restaurant in Trenton, which is about 35 miles west of Gainesville in North Central Florida.
Fellow deputies responding to the scene found the shooter dead outside the business. The shooter was identified as John Hubert Highnote, 59, of Bell.
Schultz wouldn’t say how the suspect died, adding that state law enforcement officials are investigating. Authorities said there’s no apparent motive for the shooting.
“They were the best of the best,” he said of the deputies. “They were men of integrity. They were men of loyalty. They’re God-fearing, and they loved what they did and were very proud of it.”
Schultz made his comments to the media Thursday night, shortly after he notified both families.
Ramirez, a seven-year veteran, was married with children and had an infectious smile, the sheriff said. Lindsey, who joined the department two years ago, had a girlfriend.
“I [can] sit here in front of all of you and say that I loved them,” Schultz said. “And they were loved by all.”
Agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct the investigation. Schultz said he doesn’t know why the officers were killed but said it may have something to do with dislike for police officers.
“What do you expect to happen when you demonize law enforcement to the extent of that it’s been demonized?” he said.
Condolences poured in from around the state and nation.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said he was “heartbroken” over the deaths of the deputies. The governor said he committed all state resources the Sheriff’s Office may need.
“It is true evil for anyone to hurt a law enforcement officer, and in Florida, we have zero tolerance for violence, especially against the police,” he said in a statement.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings also expressed his grief.
“We here at the Orange County Sheriff's Office are deeply saddened by the loss of the two Gilchrist County deputies killed in what appears to be a senseless act of violence in Trenton,” he said in a statement.
“I have reached out to Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz III to offer our full assistance and our deepest condolences.”
President Donald Trump weighed in on Twitter: “My thoughts, prayers and condolences are with the families, friends and colleagues of the two @GCSOFlorida deputies (HEROES) who lost their lives in the line of duty today.”
Schultz said he rushed to the scene as soon as he heard about the shooting. He said it’s important to remember that attacks like this can happen anywhere, even in small cities like Trenton.
“After 26 years of doing this, there is nothing that can prepare you for senseless deaths,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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