The man who was being sought by Leesburg Police who fatally shot a woman and another man and then turned the gun on himself at a Tavares home had once dated the female victim.
Police say 47-year-old Joseph B. Mcguirl killed 39-year-old Wendy Higgins, of Mount Dora, and 41-year-old James Delgiorno, who owned the residence at 331 Lakecrest Dr. Tavares Police spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Coursey confirmed that Mcguirl and Higgins were once in a romantic relationship but Higgins broke things off. She said according to interviews, Higgins agreed to be friends with Mcguirl but he couldn’t accept that she had moved on with Delgiorno.
Leesburg Police officers had been searching for Mcguirl after he started making suicidal comments via text messages. They obtained Mcguirl’s vehicle GPS data and then asked for assistance from the Tavares Police Department in reference to a well-bring check at Delgiorno’s house. Leesburg Police also confirmed that the three had worked together and were a “no call no show” to work.
Tavares officers arrived in the area of Lakecrest Drive and Shorewood Drive to confirm Mcguirl’s vehicle was in the immediate area. Officers also determined that vehicles belonging to Delgiorno and Higgins were at the residence.
While officers were conducting preliminary investigations, they were approached by neighbors who reported hearing gunshots shortly before 3 a.m. The officers started checking the exterior of the home at about 9:42 a.m. and were able to determine that the rear glass sliding door had been shattered.
Officers then entered the residence and found the bodies of Delgiorno and Higgins in bed. Officer said it appeared that they were shot while they were sleeping. They also found Mcguirl’s body on the floor closest to Higgins’ side of the bed with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a report states.
