The chilling 911 call that exposed a family massacre.

On September 18, 2014, an unassuming rural town of Bell became the scene of an unthinkable tragedy.

At around 4 p.m., Gilchrist County dispatchers received a 911 call from Don Spirit, a 51 year old grandfather who calmly admitted that he'd just murdered his adult daughter and six grandchildren, before stating he planned to take his own life.

"Yes ma'am, I, I um, I just shot my daughter. And shot all my grandkids. And I'll be sitting on my step. And when yous get here I'm going to shoot myself," Spirit told the dispatcher, his chilling confession recorded in a 911 call transcript later obtained by WJXT.

When the dispatcher pressed for details, an audibly agitated Spirit cut her off: "I don't want to hear it ma'am. I'm done with every f**king thing. Just bring the motherf**kers out here. That's all. You got all the kids are dead in the house."

When law enforcement arrived at the Spirit residence, the chilling reality of the situation became evident.

Watch: Self-proclaimed "prophet" Samuel Bateman sentenced to decades in prison for crimes against children. Post continues after video.

The six children and their mother had been fatally shot. The victims were Sarah Spirit, 28, Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11, Kylie Kuhlmann, 9, Johnathon Kuhlmann, 8, Destiny Stewart, 5, Brandon Stewart, 4, and baby Alanna Stewart, born just three months earlier in June.

Authorities found the children's bodies scattered across various locations inside the home, while the bodies of Sarah and her father were discovered outside the property. Don Spirit died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after speaking briefly with deputies on the scene.

As investigators delved deeper into the case, they uncovered a disturbing history of criminal behaviour and family turmoil surrounding Don Spirit.

According to court records cited by The New York Times, Spirit was a convicted felon who served three years in prison after accidentally shooting and killing his son, Kyle, during a 2001 hunting trip.

This conviction, along with prior charges for drug possession, battery, and "depriving a child of food and shelter", rendered him legally prohibited from owning a firearm.

Despite these restrictions, Spirit had obtained weapons — a fact that Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert Schultz said would be part of the broader investigation.

According to reports, Sarah Spirit, the daughter killed in the massacre, had accused her father of physical abuse years before, writing in a 2008 domestic violence injunction court order: "I am very scared of him. I know what he is capable of." Don Spirit served six months in jail following a related battery conviction.

Over the years, Sarah had several encounters with law enforcement, including charges for theft, battery, and illegal drug use. She also had a boyfriend with a criminal record. Despite these struggles, friends remember Sarah fondly.

"She was a beautiful, smart woman," James Bell, a family friend, told USA Today. "She moved from Tampa to Bell to help her dad out."

As the community wrestled with the scale of the tragedy, questions about Don Spirit's mental health arose. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) reported that Spirit might have been under the influence of drugs during the massacre. His ex-wife told investigators she believed Spirit suffered from mental health issues.

The murder-suicide shocked not only the small, tight-knit community of Bell but also the nation. In a press release, local law enforcement emphasised the weight of the loss, stating that this "tragic and devastating event may never be fully explained".

Ten years on, Sheriff Schultz reflected on the unthinkable tragedy.

"There's a special place in hell for people like him," he said, as per WCJB, referring to Don Spirit.

"He took a coward's way out. I don't care about his mental status, I don't care about what his thought process was, he was an idiot, he was a coward, and good riddance," Schultz said.

The Sheriff also said that the crime was the worst he has ever responded to.

"Trying to piece together and make sense of something that's senseless and that's something we never quite achieved was making sense of it," Schultz said. "When you take the lives of six innocent children and your daughter, it's senseless. Even if there was an explanation, it's still senseless.

"I've got to believe that as I said, those children are on the most magnificent playground there is, and that they're in a far better place than we are on this Earth and to that I take a lot of comfort in."

If you or anyone you know needs to speak with an expert, please contact your GP or in Australia, contact Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636), all of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7.

Feature Image: Find A Grave