By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A Waxahachie woman faces two capital murder charges after authorities say she admitted shooting both of her sons inside the family’s home early Thursday, leaving one dead at the scene and the other fatally wounded.
Colleen Nichole Lemmon, 42, was arrested after Ellis County sheriff’s deputies responded shortly after 4 a.m. Oct. 1 to a residence in the 900 block of Big Sky Drive. Deputies found 21-year-old Christopher Scott Pitre suffering from a gunshot wound and pronounced him dead at the home. His 15-year-old brother was transported to a hospital in critical condition and later died, according to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth.
Authorities have not publicly identified the younger son because he was a juvenile.
Lemmon was also found injured inside the residence. The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office described her injuries as non-life-threatening, and she was taken to a hospital for treatment before being booked into the Wayne McCollum Detention Center.
Investigators said evidence collected during the initial investigation established probable cause to identify Lemmon as the person who shot both victims. She was charged with two counts of capital murder.
Additional details contained in a search warrant affidavit describe a chaotic 911 call immediately before deputies arrived.
According to WFAA, emergency dispatchers initially received a call that disconnected. When dispatch reached the caller again, a woman reportedly said all available units were needed before the call ended a second time.
When deputies arrived, they heard a woman yelling that they needed additional officers and telling them she had a gun in her hand, according to the affidavit.
Deputies then saw Lemmon with blood on her hands, the affidavit stated. After entering the mobile home, officers allegedly found her in the living room “covered in blood with a gun next to her” and with “what seemed to be self-inflicted cuts to her wrists.”
Lemmon then allegedly told deputies, “I shot both of my kids,” and directed them toward the bedrooms where the two victims were located.
Deputies found Pitre and his 15-year-old brother with gunshot wounds to their heads, according to the affidavit. Pitre was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency personnel transported the younger boy to a hospital, where he later died.
WFAA reported that Lemmon’s bond was set at $2.5 million.
The Sheriff’s Office has not released information about what allegedly occurred before the shooting or identified any motive.
Sheriff Brad Norman issued a statement expressing sympathy for surviving relatives.
“My deepest sympathies go out to the victims’ father, family members, and loved ones involved in this tragic incident.”
Norman said the family would remain in the department’s prayers during what he described as a difficult time.
The killings shocked the Waxahachie area, a community south of Dallas in Ellis County. Authorities have released few additional details while the investigation continues.
FOX 4 reported that deputies were dispatched at approximately 4:13 a.m. after receiving the emergency call. Officials initially described finding two victims with gunshot wounds and later confirmed that both had died.
Lemmon’s injuries did not prevent her from being taken into custody following medical treatment. She remained jailed on the two capital murder counts as investigators continued working to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Authorities have not said whether there had been any previous calls to the residence, whether investigators recovered more than one firearm or what evidence led up to the alleged shootings.
The younger victim’s name has remained withheld, while Pitre was publicly identified as Lemmon’s 21-year-old son.
No motive had been announced as of Friday, leaving investigators still working to establish what preceded the early-morning shootings that left both brothers dead and their mother charged with their murders.
Original article
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