Tragic end perplexes family

The shooting victim's parents and brother struggle to grasp what went wrong.

By CHANDRA BROADWATER, Times Staff Writer
Published November 22, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT Kyle Gabelman, 25, was shot and killed by two sheriff's deputies.

SPRING HILL - He was a good person who cared about his family.

Growing up, 25-year-old Kyle Gabelman was the typical younger brother who liked to play jokes and annoy his older sibling, T.J. And like most kids, he got in trouble around the house for the usual stuff.

"But it was never for anything out of the ordinary," T.J. Gabelman, 27, said Wednesday. "He was a good son and a good brother."

And though he had a temper, no one in the family had ever seen him as angry and distraught as he was Tuesday afternoon, just before two Hernando County sheriff's deputies shot and killed him in front of his parents' Spring Hill home.

As they plan a funeral, Gabelman said his family is still trying to understand what happened. They can't believe Kyle is gone.

"It's all such a shock," Gabelman said. "You wake up and realize that this really wasn't a nightmare."

On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement also continued to piece together Tuesday's complicated tale. The agency took over because Hernando deputies Michael Glatfelter, 45, and Christopher Croft, 33, were involved in the shooting.

The deputies, who have good standing with the department, have been placed on paid administrative leave as the shooting is investigated. Glatfelter has been with the department since 1989; Croft since 2005.

The last time a Hernando deputy shot and killed someone was in 2003, when two such incidents took place. There were two others in 2002.

According to FDLE spokeswoman Trena Reddick, more information on Tuesday's shooting most likely won't be available until next week, after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Investigators had just received much of their information and continued to interview those involved Wednesday, she said.

She added that recordings of several 911 phone calls placed by the Gabelman family would not be released until a later time. There were also no reports available from the 5th District Medical Examiner's Office, where an autopsy on Gabelman's body was done Wednesday.

The Sheriff's Office said Tuesday's series of events began just before noon when Gabelman's mother, Debbie, called 911 to say that she was worried about her son.

He had come home upset over a breakup with his girlfriend. She and her husband, Thomas, were both there. She told authorities that Kyle had left the house in his black Ford F-150 pickup.

Later, at Barclay Avenue and Spring Hill Drive, a truck matching that description hit another vehicle and took off. Gabelman then returned home. He was armed with a small black handgun. His truck was dented on the front passenger side. His parents called 911 again, but Gabelman took off.

While deputies searched for him, Gabelman left his truck in the woods about a mile from his parents' home, where it was recovered Tuesday night. He walked back home, then started banging on the door trying to get in. Debbie Gabelman called 911 again just before 2 p.m.

Authorities say Kyle Gabelman came out the front door of the house and fired a shot, and that deputies had no choice but to return fire. Witnesses say that at least one of the deputies was armed with a semiautomatic assault rifle.

But at least one witness said Gabelman shot into the air and not at the deputies.

T.J. Gabelman said his parents were inside their house the entire time the events transpired. They found out Kyle was dead when deputies went inside to make sure they were safe. Where and how many times he was shot is not clear.

Debbie Gabelman called T.J. at his home in Maryland shortly after the shooting.

"I didn't even want to know all the details," T.J. said. "I didn't want to be crying on the plane."

The lone remaining son said his family had no idea that Kyle had a gun or how he might have got it. In recent years, he had moved to an apartment in Hudson and, for the most part, was doing well. He did lawn maintenance work.

The family moved to Spring Hill about the time they bought their home on Banyan Road in 1988. Kyle was homeschooled.

The night before he died, he visited with his parents. What happened this week has left them in a state of shock, T.J. said.

He said that authorities told the family that a report would be ready within 30 days. In the meantime, he's talked to some of the neighbors, he said, but everyone seems to have a different story.

"I guess we're doing as good as we can be," he said Wednesday afternoon. "We're sad. Kyle definitely was special to us. We wish we could have him back."

Chandra Broadwater can be reached at cbroadwater@sptimes.com or 352 848-1432.

FAST FACTS:

Memorial planned

A memorial service for Kyle Gabelman has been scheduled for Sunday at Turner Funeral Homes Spring Hill Chapel, 14360 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday and also from 6 to 8 p.m. A memorial service will take place at 7 p.m. Turner Funeral Homes can be contacted at 796-9661.

[Last modified November 21, 2007, 20:29:39]