A quiet suburban community in western Tamarac, Florida is reeling after a triple homicide happened early Sunday, Feb. 16, leaving three people dead, including a woman who was trying to get away from her husband.
Authorities said the suspect, Nathan Gingles, showed up in all black at the Plum Harbor–Plum Bay home of his estranged wife, Mary Gingles, in violation of a domestic violence protection order. His father-in-law, David Ponzer, was on the patio when Gingles allegedly opened fire. Investigators later found Ponzer’s body with a coffee cup and lighter still clutched in his hands.
“Nathan arrived at Mary and David’s home armed with a firearm and means to conceal his identity. Nathan intentionally shot David in the head while he innocently drank coffee on his back patio,” read a portion of the warrant obtained by NBC Miami.
Mary ran for help by fleeing to a neighbor’s house, but Gingles quickly followed her. He fatally shot both Mary and the neighbor — identified as 36-year-old Andrew Ferrin — who had attempted to intervene in the matter involving the couple.
According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Nathan Gingles kidnapped his 4-year-old daughter on Sunday in Tamarac after fatally shooting her 34-year-old mother, her 64-year-old grandfather, and her 36-year-old neighbor. https://t.co/5tFuiWvie1
— News4JAX (@wjxt4) February 17, 2025
Residents were stunned by the tragedy, with many of them recalling being awakened by the sound of gunfire and screams as the violent attack unfolded in the area. After allegedly killing the three people, including his wife, Gingles abducted his 4-year-old daughter. At this point, an Amber Alert was raised. Authorities worked to locate the child and found her unharmed at a nearby Walmart hours later, where Gingles was also taken into custody.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, Gingles appeared in Broward bond court, where a judge ordered him held without bond on three first-degree murder charges. The suspect maintained a calm and collected demeanor in court even as he was given a $2 million bond on additional charges, such as violating a domestic violence injunction and child abuse.
Florida Four-year-old Girl Kidnapped Out Of Broward County — Wtsp. Com: TAMARAC, Fla. — Update: Seraphina Gingles and Nathan Gingles have been found, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office confirmed https://t.co/W2eIAGyzfr pic.twitter.com/XKSLHRl2qb
— Florida Explorers (@fltrek) February 18, 2025
Considering the circumstances, the judge had ordered Gingles to undergo a mental health screening. Court records revealed that Mary had long feared for her safety before the triple homicide. In December, she even sought a domestic violence protection order, citing her husband’s alleged violent behavior and its impact on their daughter.
“Because of Nathan’s psychotic behavior, his multiple silencer firearms and our impending divorce, I’m afraid he will kill me,” she wrote in her petition at the time, as per CBS News. She also urged the court to require psychological evaluations for both of them, adding, “I am willing to submit to psychological testing and believe it necessary that Nathan do the same.”
Detectives reportedly recovered the firearm used in the killings of Mary, her father, and her neighbor, the Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Surveillance footage showed Gingles walking away from the crime scene while holding his daughter’s hand. Friends and family of Mary took to social media to grieve after the incident, remembering her as someone with a “huge heart” and a “light that shone bright.”
Ferrin’s uncle, George David, described his nephew as a selfless individual who died trying to protect others. “I always felt there was light over dark. I don’t feel that today,” David said, according to CBS News. Some of the neighbors left flowers outside the victims’ homes as they mourn the tragedy in their supposedly quiet community.
Gingles remains in custody while an investigation into what happened is ongoing. He faces multiple charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, violating a domestic violence injunction, armed burglary, kidnapping, and child abuse.
