Aloona Tedesco pictured on her Facebook page.
A high school nurse was shot and killed by her stepfather as she visited her Alzheimer’s stricken mother in a Tampa hospital. After shooting Aloona Tedesco, 41, Steven Eugene Reynolds, 70, then turned the gun on himself, committing suicide on the morning of November 23 at the medical facility. He had been married to Tedesco’s mother. The exact motive for the crime has not been made public.
This is a breaking story so stay tuned for updates.
Here’s what we know so far:
1. Hospital Staff Tried to Save Tedesco, Reynolds Died Instantly
The Tampa Bay Times reports that the shooting took place in one room in the hospital. After Tedesco was killed, Reynolds committed suicide. The medical center was never placed on lockdown after the incident, which occurred at around 7 a.m. on November 23, near east Fletcher Avenuce close to the University of South Florida. She received emergency medical attention but later died, Reynolds was pronounced dead immediately, reports Bay News 9.
2. She Was Married to a Prominent Floridian Doctor
Dr. John Tedesco. (Florida Medical Clinic)
She was the wife of prominent Land O’Lakes physician Dr. John Tedesco, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Aloona worked as a school nurse for Hudson High and Middle schools in Hudson, Florida. She’s a registered nurse in the state. Her Facebook page shows that she and Tedesco had two kids together. Online records show the family lived along Tradition Drive in Dade City in a home that’s valued at close to $1 million. Their home is part of the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club complex.
3. Their Family Often Played Music Together
Aloona and her husband are golf enthusiasts. In 2014, Erie News Now reported that the couple had traveled from Florida to Erie, Pennsylvania, where she has family, to play “snow golf.” She told the station at the time “We’re having a great time, it’s like playing in the sand traps in Florida.” Her nephew from Erie, Stephen Salchli, paid tribute to his aunt on Facebook writing “A senseless tragedy to one of the nicest people I knew. Rest in Peace Alonna Tedesco.” On his Florida Medical Clinic profile, it says that Tedesco “plays golf whenever possible.” It adds “Friends say he can play any instrument, and when pressed they name them: guitar, keyboard, bass, wind, drums, and to round it all out, he sings! Dr. Tedesco’s entire family enjoys music and often play together just for fun.”
4. Aloona Paid Tribute to Her Sick Mother Recently on Facebook
On the 31 of October, Aloona wrote on her Facebook page “All I have to say is Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease! This wonderful woman at the age of 67 looks like the epitome of health ! Her body is in great shape yet her mind is so ill! I wish I knew how to cure this disease, I miss my mom!”
5. Investigators Are Scouring the Hospital’s Surveillance Videos Looking for More Information
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Donna Lusczynski has described the incident as a “murder/suicide” but stressed that it’s still under investigation. The hospital’s many security cameras are being scoured by investigators for information, reports the Tampa Tribune. Lusczynski said that sheriff’s deputies were on scene at the hospital within two minutes of the initial call.