Remnant Recap
Arrest made: Odessa police arrested a 15-year-old boy and charged him with capital murder of multiple people.
Victims identified: Authorities say the teen killed his ex-girlfriend’s mother and her two children, ages 9 and 13.
Investigation ongoing: Police believe the attack was targeted and are investigating how the suspect obtained the weapon.
Another Texas community is grieving after what police describe as a targeted, premeditated act of pure evil. Authorities say a teenage boy from Odessa carried out a brutal triple murder, killing his ex-girlfriend’s mother and two young siblings inside their home. Investigators revealed the suspect had initially planned to shoot his ex-girlfriend outside of school before changing course and attacking her family instead. The violence was not random and not gang-related, according to police, but the devastation left behind is no less severe. As details emerge, the case is forcing uncomfortable conversations about warning signs, accountability, and the growing darkness surrounding juvenile violence.
TooFab reports:
A teenage boy from Odessa, Texas, is behind bars for the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend's family.
On Wednesday, December 10, the Odessa Police Department announced the arrest of an unidentified teenage male, who has been charged with capital murder of multiple persons, a felony. He's accused of killing 39-year-old Jessica Rodriguez -- the mother of his ex-girlfriend -- as well as two of Rodriguez's children, a 9-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl.
The shooting went down the day before, on December 9, around 5:45pm. Officers responded to a number of calls, finding three deceased victims inside an apartment. The suspect had already left the scene on foot, Police Chief Mike Gerke said in a press conference, but was placed into custody about 40 minutes later.
"Investigation revealed that 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," authorities said in a press release, adding that "the suspect entered the residence and shot his ex-girlfriend’s mother."
He then shot the ex-girlfriend's siblings, said police.
As investigators continue piecing together the events that led to the massacre, a family and community are left shattered. For many, the tragedy stands as another grim reminder that when evil surfaces, the cost is often paid by the innocent.
