Insets, left to right: Jessica Rodriguez, her 9-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter (GoFundMe). Background: The area near 8740 Hunter Miller Way in Odessa, Texas, where a 15-year-old allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend's mom, 9-year-old brother and 13-year-old sister (KIII/YouTube).
A Texas teen allegedly planned to shoot his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend outside of school "but changed his mind" and went to her house instead to kill her mom, 9-year-old brother and 13-year-old sister, according to cops.
"It was such a tragic and cowardly act of violence," Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke said during a Wednesday media briefing on the triple slaying, according to local NBC affiliate KWES. "It's the kind of thing that really marks a community," the top cop said. "Particularly in this holiday season, it's a hurtful, horrible thing."
Police say the 15-year-old, whose name is being withheld by authorities due to his age, went to his ex-girlfriend's home at 8740 Hunter Miller Way in Odessa on Tuesday and barged in with a handgun. He allegedly shot his ex's mother, Jessica Rodriguez, 39, and then her younger siblings before fleeing on foot.
"The 15-year-old male suspect had planned on shooting his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend outside of school but changed his mind and went to her residence instead," the Odessa Police Department says in a Facebook post. "All three shooting victims were pronounced deceased on scene."
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Police say the teen was apprehended about 40 minutes after the shootings. Gerke told reporters that his ex-girlfriend was unharmed. It's unclear if she was home at the time.
"She wasn't injured," the chief said.
Police are reportedly still investigating how the teen allegedly obtained a firearm.
"We know what he told us, how he got the gun, but we don't necessarily believe everything that he tells us about that," Gerke said.
The children's father, Roy Martinez, has launched a GoFundMe that says his heart is "extremely broken" about what transpired on Tuesday.
"It will never be complete anymore," he said.
The teen suspect has been charged with three counts of capital murder of multiple persons and is being held at the Ector County Youth Center.
