The quiet streets of Plant City were shaken to the core on May 3, after a heartbreaking shooting left four members of the same family dead, including two very young children. Investigators say the victims were 28-year-old Hailey Dempsey, her two children — a 4-month-old baby and a 4-year-old — and the children’s 55-year-old grandmother. Each of them died from gunshot wounds, turning what should have been a normal morning into a scene of unimaginable loss.
Police were first called to the 300 block of West Tever Street following reports of a disturbance in the early hours. When officers arrived, they found the two young children already dead inside the home. Hailey Dempsey was still alive but gravely injured. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
As investigators worked the scene, they uncovered another devastating piece of the story. The children’s grandmother was found dead at a separate residence connected to the case. Authorities believe her death is directly tied to the same chain of events, deepening what they now describe as a possible quadruple homicide.
In the midst of the tragedy, one child inside the home was found alive and physically unharmed. That child is now safe, though officials have not released further details about their condition or identity. For many in the community, that single survival stands as a fragile point of relief in an otherwise overwhelming situation.
Police have named Jay Dempsey as a person of interest in the investigation. He was briefly taken into custody but later released as detectives continued to piece together evidence. Authorities say he may have been in a wooded area at some point before retrieving a vehicle linked to the case and leaving the area. His current whereabouts remain unknown.
Investigators are now asking residents in the area to check any surveillance or doorbell camera footage from the morning hours between 5:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. Detectives believe even the smallest detail could help them understand what happened and possibly locate the person responsible.
The motive behind the killings is still unclear. Detectives are carefully reconstructing the timeline, trying to understand how the violence unfolded across multiple locations. Each new detail adds weight to a case that has already left a deep scar on the community.
Neighbors and residents are struggling to process the loss, especially the deaths of the two young children. The sense of shock is heavy, with many describing the incident as something they never expected to see in their neighborhood. As the investigation continues, Plant City is left mourning a family torn apart in a matter of hours.
