Florida man arrives for custody handover to find her two children and their father shot dead

From the Newshound archive · first published 9 October 2026 · last updated 10 October 2026.

Olivia Piccolo, 29, dialled 911 on Wednesday afternoon after entering Joseph Dingwall's home in Cocoa, Florida, through an open front door and discovering all three had been shot dead. Dingwall, 37, is believed to have shot seven-year-old Remy and five-year-old Aria before taking his own life. Officers had responded to the address 11 times since 2021, answering calls relating to medical and suspicious activity incidents. A neighbour told police he heard two distinct gunshots at 12.20am — approximately 12 hours before Piccolo arrived and made the discovery.

Remy was just days short of his eighth birthday; he and Aria were remembered as 'two very precious and deeply loved children.'

Dingwall appeared on a neighbour's doorbell camera pacing outside his home with a flashlight shortly after the shots were heard.

A GoFundMe for Piccolo had surpassed $15,000 by Friday as the Cocoa community gathered in support of the bereaved mother.