A retired firefighter who was being investigated for allegedly possessing “horrific” child sex abuse material was shot and killed by Florida police when he pulled a gun on officers.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said 68-year-old Gary Guckenberger came out of his home on Hatfield Court in Longwood and refused to follow orders from officers who were surveilling him.
‘It included bondage, sexual batteries, and the most horrific examples of abuse and neglect that any human being could ever imagine.’
Sheriff Lemma said the police department received a tip about Guckenberger and performed a search at his home before finding the material on his devices. The incident unfolded later as police were surveilling him.
“As we were conducting surveillance, Gary Guckenberger came out of his house,” Lemma said. “He was on a walker. He walked down to the middle of the driveway. … He immediately reached to his waistband, pulling a .38 revolver out of his waistband and start raising it up.”
Lemma said officers gave clear instructions to the man and then opened fire. Guckenberger was struck by two gunshots from deputies, according to Lemma. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
He said that Guckenberger possessed more than 100 very explicit videos and images of children between the ages of 3 and 9 years old.
“It included bondage, sexual batteries, and the most horrific examples of abuse and neglect that any human being could ever imagine,” Lemma said.
“We know at least on one occasion where he communicated with another woman about engaging in sexual activity with her child. And at this point, we don’t believe that that has ever occurred,” he added.
“We have a responsibility as a society and as a profession to protect our most vulnerable. Our children, who are the victims of these heinous crimes, are at the top of that list,” Lemma said.
A Facebook post from the Seminole County Fire Department in 2013 congratulated Guckenberger for retiring from the department after 28 years.
“I would imagine that the members of the fire department and the fire chief are incredibly concerned about this,” Lemma added.
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