A 6-year-old Florida girl who was shot in the head Friday has died while a manhunt continues for the perpetrator, WFLA-TV reports.
Elizabelle Frenel had been severely injured in a shooting that also claimed the life of her mother and another relative at an apartment complex in Haines City, Florida. The girl was rushed to a hospital in Orlando, but she succumbed to her injuries late Saturday evening, according to the television station.
Investigators say the suspect, 38-year-old Ernst Cherizard, gunned down Frenel as well as her 23-year-old mother, Eli Junia Normil, and Normil’s aunt, 48-year-old Nicole Guillume. The Miami Herald reports that Cherizard shot Frenel in the head.
The two adult women deceased in this case were identified earlier as Eli Junia Normil, 23, and Nicole Guillume, 48. pic.twitter.com/x4tTCC14wv
— Haines City Police Department (@HainesCityPD) April 14, 2019
Shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Friday, family members of Normil went to an apartment complex to check on her. Cherizard reportedly told them she was not there. A confrontation with Guillume subsequently ensued and Cherizard later fired a gun.
Cherizard fled the scene in a burgundy 2011 Nissan Altima with Florida license plate GZN C82. Police say the vehicle was last spotted passing through a toll plaza in Boynton Beach just after midnight Saturday.
Normil and Cherizard had been in a relationship and had two children together, although Frenel was not Cherizard’s child. Cherizard posted an apology on Facebook early Saturday, indicating that he would either turn himself in to police or commit suicide.
Investigators say Ernst Cherizard shot and killed Nicole Guillermo (48) and Eli Normil (23). Police say he shot Elizabelle Frenel in the head and now she’s fighting for her life at a hospital in Orlando. (Picture if suspect courtesy: Haines City PD) @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/jidmz3O6VR
— Ty Russell (@TRussellCBS4) April 13, 2019
“Daddy is so sorry with all my heart cuz I can’t believe this happened,” Cherizard wrote in the post.
Still, Haines City Police Chief Jim Elensky said Cherizard is a “monster” and should be considered armed and dangerous.
“To consciously shoot three innocent, unarmed females is nothing less than being a coward,” Elensky said. “To shoot a truly innocent 6-year-old child is disgusting and beyond comprehension. Moreover, he shot the child at least three times, once being in the head. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the first responders who did everything they could at the scene. They also must live with this tragedy.”
To report information about the case or Cherizard’s whereabouts, call Haines City police at 863-421-3636 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477.
A GoFundMe page is collecting donations for a tribute to the victims.
[Featured image: Elizabelle Frenel/Haines City Police Department]
