An hours long stand-off with Oklahoma police ended in tragedy July 20 after a mother and her three children were reportedly found dead in what was believed to be a murder-suicide.
The incident began in the small town of Verdigris, just east of Tulsa, at approximately 4 p.m. Thursday. A police officer driving in the area witnessed a firework being shot through the broken window of a garage and stopped to investigate, Tulsa World reported.
Upon reaching the garage, the officer discovered a woman trapped in the garage with several children and was using the Roman candle firework in an attempt to get help, per the outlet. The officer further learned the woman found herself in the hostage situation after reportedly bringing a child to the home for a supervised visit with the child’s mother. After arriving, the mother allegedly pointed a gun at the woman and locked her and two other children in the garage while taking the third child, the outlet stated.
With police help, the woman and two children were able to escape the garage while officers attempted to make contact with the woman inside the home, the outlet stated. A stand-off reportedly ensued for almost three hours when officers entered the home and found the mother and three children dead inside, all suffering from apparent gun shot wounds, Verdigris Police Chief Jack Shackelford told the outlet. (RELATED: REPORT: Five Dead In Murder-Suicide, Including 3 Children)
Lucretia Pitre, a family friend who used to live in the home, revealed to the outlet the last few years for the mother had been very difficult. The mother suffered a string of deaths in her family, including her sister, mother, uncle and grandparents.
“This is heartbreaking,” Pitre said, per the outlet. “This family’s seen a lot, you know. Mental health has I feel like just really, really, really affected this family when it comes to that and substance abuse … ”
While police did not confirm the ages of the deceased children, Pitre revealed the victims were a 9-month-old baby boy, a 6-or 7-year-old boy and a 10-or 11- year old girl. “I just can’t believe she took the kids. I don’t know. I just don’t understand it,” she stated.
Shackleford confirmed officers had visited the home several times in the past on domestic and mental health calls, CBS News reported.