Baptist Hospital Shooting

June 19, 2008: Police responded to a shooting at the Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida.

Fast Facts

1. Time of incident: Approximately 6:45 p.m. EST
2. Jesse J. Prindle Jr., age 68, was the gunman
3. Prindle shot Denise Farve, age 49, his ex-lover
4. Farve died in the hospital on June 20, 2008
5. Prindle also shot his 11-year-old son, Kai Prindle
6. He then shot himself
7. Prindle's family has revealed court battle over child's custody
8. Also revealed is a 24-page death note

Background

Family members from both sides of the conflict spoke out following the incident. Prindle has three other children besides Kai: Twyla, Jesse Prindle III and John. They indicated that their father had been in a long custody battle over Kai since 2002.

Kai Prindle experienced a seizure while in his father's care on Wednesday, June 18th. He was taken to Baptist Medical Center for treatment. His mother, Denise Favre returned to Jacksonville early to pick up her son. Upon hearing of his whereabouts, she went to the hospital to get him.

It was as they were leaving the hospital that they encountered Jessie Prindle Jr..

Quotes

"Demons or something must have taken over."—Twyla Prindle¹

"It’s very low down. Now not only does the child not have a mother, but he doesn’t have a father."—Gail Farve, sister of Denise¹

"We've got a confirmed male that is dead, deceased here in the parking lot. We've got a seriously, critically injured female shot also here in the parking garage near the emergency center. She has been transported to Shands hospital. We have a young, 11-year-old male that has also been wounded. He is still being treated here at the hospital, and he in fair condition."—Rick Graham, Jacksonville Sherriff's Office Chief²

"I was just coming to pick up a friend from the emergency room. I parked at the far end, and as I was getting out the car I heard about four gunshots. I didn't know if it was really gunshots or not so I stopped for a second … and then I walked. As I was walking, I saw a little boy … running. He had a gunshot to his chest, I think. He was running toward another girl, telling her to help him. As I was walking, I saw a police officers setting up and a guy shot where blood was running down his face."—Unidentified Witness²

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