A Texas woman who “very recently” lost custody of her young children fatally shot both of them and her own mother before killing herself inside their North Side apartment complex, according to the San Antonio Police Department on Monday.
Her exact motive was not immediately clear, but authorities believe the woman was supposed to turn her 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son over to their father following a recent court order, Police Chief William McManus said at a news briefing.
The children’s father, who was trying to get in touch with the family, called 911 after seeing their bodies through a window crack in the back of the apartment around 8:30 a.m. Monday, McManus said.
“It’s tragic beyond words,” the chief told reporters outside the apartment complex.
The woman was 38 and her mother was 68, but authorities have not released any names.
Detectives are also trying to determine when exactly the murder-suicide took place and what led the woman to murder her own family and take her own life.
Speaking to reporters outside the crime scene, the Chief confirmed all four had died of gunshot wounds, but they had not yet recovered the murder weapon.
However he added the medical examiner had not yet allowed police to fully investigate the scene, suggesting the gun was likely hidden beneath one of the bodies.
The father told police that the children’s mother had never shown any signs of violence before.
Chief McManus would not be drawn on why the courts had ordered the mother to give up custody of the children to the father. Nor would he speculate on whether COVID-19 lockdown played a part in the killings.
The identities of the deceased have not yet been revealed.
