Community devastated after shooting rampage in Lake Butler

Deputies say 3 dead, 2 hurt after mass shooting

UNION COUNTY, Fla. – The Lake Butler community is grieving after a violent rampage that happened Saturday when the owner of a national trucking company was killed on his farm.

Many people in Union County have said they know almost all of the victims involved and they can't imagine why something like this would happen.

Cecelia Alexander, who lives in Lake Butler, said she was devastated when she heard the news that Marvin Pritchett, the owner of a successful trucking company, had been gunned down on his farm along with an employee.

"We hear it around other places and stuff and see it on TV, but, our home. Our home. This is devastating," Alexander said.

Winnie Watkins said she hopes the community can heal.

"All I can do is just say for the community to pray and get together and support one another."

One of Pritchett's former employees, Eric Miles, described him as the perfect boss and a great friend. "I've known him for 15 years. Way back when I first started my driving career, he took me in and gave me a shot when nobody else would. I learned everything about trucking from him," Miles said.

Kim Thomas said Allen was a good friend of Pritchett, making the deadly shooting even harder to understand.

"It was our understanding that they were very close to each other, so it was shocking to hear what happened. I think everyone was shocked because of the relationship of the two," Thomas said.

The Union County Sheriff said at 9 a.m., recently retired 72-year-old Hubert Allen Jr. went on a shooting spree, killing his longtime boss, Marvin Pritchett, 80, and a former co-worker, Rolando Gonzalez-Delgado, 28. The Sheriff said Allen then went to the trucking company Pritchett owned and shot another employee, then went home and killed himself.

The shooting remains under investigation.


About the Author:

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.