Harper Hansman and Guy Alexander Hansman, an 11-year-old Florida girl and her 55-year-old dad, were fatally shot in their Port St. Lucie home by a neighbor who opened fire on the family after becoming enraged about a dog argument. The neighbor, named as 82-year-old Ronald Delserro by authorities, was furious that his dog had been deemed violent following an incident at the Hansmans’ home.
Delserro’s bullmastiff reportedly mauled a lady inside the victims’ house months before the tragic gunshot. Delserro was later cited for failing to securely confine his pet within a fence. During a court hearing on the dog, a judge ruled that the animal was hazardous. Delserro returned home after the judgment yet soon resolved to confront his neighbors. That afternoon, he got a gun, went over to his Hansmans’ house, and started a fire.
During the incident, Delserro killed Guy Alexander Hansen and killed his 11-year-old daughter Harper, who had contacted 911 and called the cops before being shot. If one heard this 911 call, the hairs on one’s neck would rise up, St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said of Harper’s disturbing 911 call. A small girl dials 911 and reports that there’s someone firing in their house, and she believes her parents are dead.
As if that wasn’t sufficient, Ray Layfield, a local contractor, encountered the gunman’s wife shortly after the shooting and said she had an unsettling response. Ray recalls her saying, she hope he didn’t do anything dumb. What Delserro did, on the other hand, was far from dumb. As officials would soon find, it was truly terrible.
Police raced to the residence and exchanged gunfire with Delserro, who was armed with two firearms. As per authorities, the shooter holed himself inside the victims’ home for two hours before being apprehended by a SWAT squad.
The sheriff’s deputy, who was conducting a safety check at a neighboring school, heard the call and went across the street, where he engaged the accused in gunfire. Sheriff Mascara stated that their deputy proceeded to confront him and actually got one of the victims out of the residence. The cops, though, were too late to save Harper and her father.
Authorities reached the scene to find the adult male victim already dead in the garage and the 11-year-old child, who was previously thought to be 13, gravely injured, as per Sheriff Mascara. Ronald Delserro died during the subsequent confrontation with officials and was discovered dead by the SWAT team in a second-floor bedroom of the property, but it was not immediately apparent how he died.
Harper Hansman and two other victims who managed to flee the house were taken to the hospital, where Harper died from her wounds. According to investigators, a Port St. Lucie cop was also wounded in the arm and chest. He was also transported to the hospital and is likely to survive due to his bulletproof vest.
While detectives were still investigating the scene, Port St. Lucie Animal Control arrived the next day to collect Delserro’s dog. The dog was considered dangerous, stated Del Toro. He was the owner of the dog, and he walked over there to face his neighbors, and this is what occurred, Del Toro explained. Del Toro described the event as “terrible,” “devastating,” and “an premeditated act of aggression towards these neighbors,” and added, one can’t excuse pointless conduct.
This is not reasonable and cannot be defended or reasoned. While it is acceptable to love a pet, it also comes with the duty of keeping people safe from the animal. That is something Ronald Delserro did not do, and it is tragic that his dog had to suffer as a result of Delserro’s inadequate pet care. Taking human life in retribution made no difference. Rather, the life of an 11-year-old girl was cut short, while innocent lives were lost cruelly. That’s the legacy this “loving pet owner” left behind after 82 years, and it’s horrible.
