Louis Bernard Gaskin was born on March 11, 1967. He grew up in New Jersey. There is not much detailed information available about his family or early childhood.

On the night of December 20, 1989, Louis Gaskin approached the home of Robert and Georgette Sturmfels in Palm Coast, Florida. He was dressed in a complete black ninja outfit and carried a .22 caliber rifle. Gaskin entered the backyard and shot Robert five times as he sat in a recliner. Georgette, sitting on the sofa, was shot once. When Gaskin saw that Georgette was still alive after the first shot, he reloaded and shot her in the head, killing her.

A few hours later, Gaskin arrived at the home of Joseph and Mary Rector. As they watched television, Gaskin fired his rifle into the house, hitting Joseph. Joseph managed to escape the room, and Mary hid with him in a closet. They both later heard Gaskin break the back window. The couple ran outside to their car while Gaskin shot at them from inside the house. Fortunately, all the bullets missed, and the Rectors were able to drive to a nearby hospital.

After the murders, Gaskin became a suspect when a relative of his girlfriend told the police that he came home shortly after the shootings and mentioned wrapping some "presents." Gaskin was arrested on December 30, 1989. He initially denied his involvement but later confessed to the murders, claiming they were random. He also confessed to killing another person, Charles Martin Miller, in 1986. Evidence collected from his home matched items taken from the Sturmfels' property.

Gaskin's trial lasted two months, and in July 1990, he was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. He received two death sentences. He remained in Florida State Prison until his execution. In 2002, Gaskin attempted to appeal his sentence but was unsuccessful.

On March 13, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Gaskin's death warrant for April 12, 2023. On that day, Gaskin had his last meal, which included barbeque pork ribs and shrimp fried rice. He was executed by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. None of the victims' relatives were present during the execution.