A routine welfare check in Fort Lauderdale uncovered a heartbreaking scene. Inside a condo, police found 46-year-old Larisa Blyudaya and her 18-year-old son, Ben Azizov, dead. Both had been murdered.
Just hours later, violence struck again — this time 150 miles away in Sarasota County. Neighbors heard gunshots in a quiet residential area. A man, 61-year-old Anatoly “Tony” Ioffe, was found outside his home with gunshot wounds. Despite a neighbor’s attempt to perform CPR, he died at the scene.
When deputies entered the house, they discovered three more victims: Tony’s wife, Florita “Rita” Stolyar; their son, Yaroslav “Stan” Blyudoy; and family friend Olga Greinert. A fifth body was also found inside — the suspected gunman, 51-year-old Russell Kot, who had taken his own life.
Authorities later confirmed the victims were all related. Larisa, killed in Fort Lauderdale, was Tony and Rita’s daughter. Stan was her brother. Investigators believe Kot, described as Larisa’s former partner, first killed her and her son. He then drove to Sarasota and targeted her immediate family before ending his life.
In one devastating day, an entire family was nearly wiped out. A fundraiser has been created to help surviving relatives with funeral expenses and counseling.
The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to understand what led to this tragic chain of events.