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Texas Mother Shot And Killed Her Two Daughters Right On Their Father’s Birthday

By Lawrence Arboleda
Published on: 23:05 PST, Jun 27, 2016

The Texas mother who gunned down her two daughters last Friday reportedly “convened a family meeting” before the shooting happened, according to a press release from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.

As previously reported by People, Christy Sheats, 42, was inside the living room of her house to plan a family meeting when she pulled out her gun and started firing at her two daughters Taylor, 22, and Madison, 17, and her husband, Jason, 45.

Even more shocking is the fact that the shooting happened right on Jason’s birthday.

Worse,the tragic shooting happened just a few days before Taylor was supposed to be married. If Taylor hadn’t died, she would have been married on Monday, June 27.

Jason, Taylor, and Madison reportedly ran out of the house through the front door to get away from Christy. Madison, who took a hit from the initial gunfire, collapsed on the street outside the home and died. A witness told People that Sheats went back inside the house to reload her gun and then went outside again to shoot Taylor.

The mother, an Alabama native, was shot to death by a Fulshear police officer when she refused to drop her gun after being given several warnings.

Taylor was airlifted to a hospital where she died of gunshot injuries.

The police told reporters that Jason was uninjured, and was so distressed after seeing her daughters gunned down by his wife that he was taken immediately to a hospital.

The Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Caitilin Espinosa confirmed to reporters that Christy Sheats had a history of mental illness. Since January 2012, the sheriff’s office had responded to 14 calls from the Sheats’ home for “previous altercations” due to the mother’s “mental crisis.”

Sheriff Nehls told reporters that the shooting happened due to a family argument, but refrained from giving more information.

A neighbor who witnessed the shooting told People that his parents claimed to have seen Sheats being put into an ambulance several years ago.

The neighbor also said that Christy was a recluse and “never came out of the house.”

A witness who called 911 after seeing Sheats firing at her family said that she “looked pretty calm-looking” whenshe gunned down her two daughters.

“She was just walking normally with a gun. There was no expression no hurry or rush, just walking with the gun. No expression on her face she was just looking straight,” the neighbor claimed.

The shooting sparked more controversy when reports emerged revealing Christy Sheats’ affinity for guns. As an active Facebook user, Sheats was very vocal in expressing her distaste for Obama and for gun control. Back in March, Sheats shared a pro-gun meme on Facebook, writing the caption: “It would be horribly tragic if my ability to protect myself or my family were to be taken away, but that’s exactly what Democrats are determined to do by banning semi-automatic handguns.”

One neighbor told the authorities that he was shocked when he learned of the shooting, saying that the mother “was nice.”

Austin Enke, who went to the same high school with one of Christy’s daughters, said he thought he heard fireworks when the shooting started.

“It’s crazy. The neighborhood has never seen this kind of thing before. It’s always quiet,” he told KHOU. “This is surprising. They never showed any kind of thing that was wrong with them whatsoever.”

Christy Sheats had the demeanor of a loving mother, at least if her Facebook post from September last year is any indication.

“Happy Daughter’s Day to my two amazing, sweet, kind, beautiful, intelligent girls. I love and treasure you both more than you could ever possibly know,” she wrote.

Given all the information we know now, most especially Christy Sheats’ history of mental illness, do you think the shooting could have been avoided if stricter gun laws were put in place? Sound off in the comments section below.

[Image via Christy Sheats/Facebook]

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