A normally quiet gated neighborhood in Sarasota, Florida, became the site of the deadliest single day of violence in the county’s history on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, when a gunman killed four people before taking his own life. The attack, linked to an earlier double homicide in Fort Lauderdale, resulted in seven deaths across two cities within just a few hours.
Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call at around 12:24 p.m. at a home on the 4820 block of Fallcrest Circle in the Amberlea community. A neighbor reported an adult man had been shot in the front yard. When deputies arrived, neighbors were administering CPR, but the victim died shortly after being taken for medical treatment.
Concerned that others might be in danger, deputies entered the home and found four more deceased individuals inside—two men and two women. Authorities identified 51-year-old Russell Kot as the suspected shooter, saying he died by suicide after killing the others. All victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and investigators recovered more than 20 shell casings at the house.
The sheriff’s office later confirmed the Sarasota victims as Olga Greinert, 49; Yaroslav “Stan” Blyudoy, 39; Florita “Rita” Stolyar, 66; and her husband Anatoly “Tony” Ioffe, 61. According to investigators, Kot killed Greinert and Blyudoy first, then stayed in the home until Stolyar and Ioffe returned, shooting them upon their arrival.
As detectives processed the Sarasota scene, they were contacted by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department about a double homicide believed to be connected. Fort Lauderdale officers had performed a wellness check around 1:30 p.m. and found 46-year-old Larisa Blyudaya and her 19-year-old son, Ben Azizov, dead inside their Victoria Park home. Investigators determined Kot killed them before driving more than 200 miles north to Sarasota.
According to the sheriff’s office, Kot moved from Illinois to Fort Lauderdale in fall 2025 and lived with Larisa Blyudaya—daughter of victim Florita Stolyar—until their separation later that year. Blyudaya and her son were the victims found in Fort Lauderdale. Kot had also previously stayed at the Sarasota home and taken care of the family’s pets, and had met Greinert, a family friend who helped clean the home, at least once.
Surveillance video recorded Kot’s vehicle traveling north through Punta Gorda before the Sarasota shootings. Additional footage captured the vehicle entering Amberlea at about 11:01 a.m., more than an hour before the 911 call. A neighbor’s security system recorded gunshots soon after Kot arrived.
Investigators searched Kot’s vehicle and found a troubling collection of weapons: two handguns, ammunition, five knives, rope, tape, and an axe. These were in addition to the two handguns Kot carried into the home. After killing Greinert and Blyudoy, he sent a suicidal text to family members and stayed in the residence until Stolyar and Ioffe returned.
As a precaution, the sheriff’s office placed several nearby schools on lockdown following the shooting, including Sarasota Middle School, Suncoast Technical College, Suncoast Polytechnical High School, Wilkinson Elementary School, and Ashton Elementary School. The lockdowns were lifted within about 15 minutes once deputies confirmed there was no ongoing threat.
Deputies established a media staging point at Bee Ridge Presbyterian Church, located about a block from the crime scene. Law enforcement remained in the area throughout the afternoon and checked IDs of residents entering the gated community to ensure only authorized individuals were allowed near the investigation site.
David Hannon, who lives across from the home, told reporters he heard several gunshots around noon. “I heard 5 distinct sounds and I recognized as gunshots,” Hannon told FOX 13.
According to a Sarasota Herald-Tribune review, the five deaths at the Amberlea residence mark the deadliest violent incident ever recorded in Sarasota County. Prior homicide cases typically involved one or two victims—and occasionally three—but never four or more in a single occurrence.
The sheriff’s office reported the home had two prior 911 calls, though they did not specify the details. Investigators found no signs of forced entry. Officials also stated that Kot had no documented history of violence or mental health crises.
Kot’s cellphone data showed no obvious triggering event involving Blyudaya or her family leading up to the attacks. Detectives are still working to determine a motive. In a statement released Thursday, the victims’ relatives described the tragedy as “a devastating loss” and said they are “navigating urgent and overwhelming practical matters.”
