JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The community of San Marco was shocked by a tragic double murder in August, when two women were shot and killed. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office revealed that 22-year-old Ty Head was responsible for the shootings of 28-year-old Paige Pringle and 53-year-old Tara Baker at a railroad crossing on Hendricks Avenue before he took his own life in Tennessee.

Head had a troubling history of mental health and substance abuse problems, yet he was still able to legally purchase a gun in June. His family had placed him in various facilities to address his issues, including a sober living facility in Nashville and another in Jacksonville Beach, from which he was eventually kicked out for fighting.

Pringle, a beloved employee at Dos Gatos bar in downtown Jacksonville, was headed home after work when she was forced to stop her white SUV at a railroad crossing. Investigators found that Head had followed her from her job, and surveillance video showed his car driving behind her just before the shooting.

The motive for the senseless act remains unclear, as the two victims did not know each other and no connection between Head and the victims was found. The day after the shooting, Head was found dead by suicide with the same gun he used in the murders.

The tragic events have prompted questions about the ability of individuals with a history of mental health and substance abuse problems to legally purchase firearms. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences that can result from such access to lethal weapons.

The Jacksonville community continues to mourn the loss of Pringle and Baker, and the investigation into the tragedy is ongoing as officials seek to understand the events leading up to the fateful night in San Marco.