Hard Times

[lizbud]

So many people without hope in this country. So Tragic that no
one could get through to her. To offer her some hope that her life could
be turned around.


Texas mom shoots self, kids after welfare standoff
Published - Dec 06 2011 12:57PM EST

Associated Press

LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A mother who had been denied welfare benefits killed herself and shot her two children after a seven-hour standoff at a government social services office, police said.

The children, a 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, were in critical condition Tuesday, Laredo police investigator Joe Baeza said.

The standoff began around 5 p.m. Monday afternoon. Baeza said the woman was speaking with two employees when she pulled out a gun and said she wanted to speak to a supervisor. When the supervisor arrived, he convinced her to let the employees go in exchange for keeping him.

Meanwhile, about 25 other people were moved to safety, police said.

Police negotiators stayed on the phone with the woman throughout the evening, but she kept hanging up. She let the supervisor go unharmed around 7:45, but stayed inside the office with her children. After hanging up the phone around 11:45, police heard three shots, and a SWAT team entered the building. Inside, they found her body and her two wounded children.

The 38-year-old woman had recently moved to the area from Zanesville, Ohio, about 30 miles east of Columbus, Baeza said. She told negotiators about a litany of complaints against state and federal government agencies. It sounded like she had been denied services several months ago, Baeza said, but it wasn't clear what specifically triggered Monday's standoff.

"This wasn't like a knee-jerk reaction," Baeza said, adding that the woman felt she was owed restitution of some sort.

The children were "very critical" and unconscious when taken from the scene, he said. Their names, along with the name of the woman, were not released by police.

[caseysmom]

I have no sympaty for someone that shoots their kids, shoot yourself, leave your kids the hell alone.

[pomtzu]

WOW - makes my problems seem very trivial, and reminds me that I must be thankful for what I do have.

Desperation can take it's toll - even on the innocent children. I'm not defending what this woman did, but in a small way, I understand. So tragic!

[moosmom]

Desperate times make people do desperate things and it makes me sick. Like Cassiesmom said, kill yourself, but leave your kids alone.

When Hurricane Irene hit CT, there was a special fund set up for low income people to receive a one-time temporary food stamp debit card. Turns out some State employees were signing themselves up!!! The Governor, as much as I can't stand him, is furious and has started an investigation. I hope he fires their greedy asses!!

[happylabs]

I have no sympaty for someone that shoots their kids, shoot yourself, leave your kids the hell alone.

I agree!

I suspect there were other factors that drove this woman to kill herself. She was most likely unstable to begin with.

[Taz_Zoee]

This is very tragic, yet I happen to know someone whose best friend was killed by her husband (along with her parents) before he killed himself. It happened on the same day the house was going into foreclosure. My thought was also the same.........why take the entire family with you?
One of our friends also took his own life last year for the same reason.....finances. I don't get it. Its scary what the stress of life can do to people you know and love and think they are completely mentally stable.

[lizbud]

I agree!

I suspect there were other factors that drove this woman to kill herself. She was most likely unstable to begin with.

Well yeah. I don't know anything about this person, but anyone who
thinks killing yourself & making the same decision for your children, is
anything but unstable, is not thinking.

The tragic thing about suicide is the person is not in their right mind.

[Asiel]

So tragic and unnecessary. I agree that she had the right to take her own life but to shoot defenceless kids is more than tragic. Obviously this is a case where Social Services failed in their job of protecting these defenceless children, it hurts when you hear some slip through the cracks and pay the price for something that isn't their fault.
I agree the woman was very unstable to do what she did - she didn't realize it wasn't a temporary solution to her problem but a permanent one.
I hope the kids can be saved.

[happylabs]

So tragic and unnecessary. I agree that she had the right to take her own life but to shoot defenceless kids is more than tragic. Obviously this is a case where Social Services failed in their job of protecting these defenceless children, it hurts when you hear some slip through the cracks and pay the price for something that isn't their fault.
I agree the woman was very unstable to do what she did - she didn't realize it wasn't a temporary solution to her problem but a permanent one.
I hope the kids can be saved.

What makes you think they "fell through the cracks"?

[Cataholic]

While I am sure Asiel will chime in, I would imagine her thoughts are that a woman and a mother just doesn't wake up one day and go on a rampage, targeting her kids. I would imagine there were mental health 'red flags' amass, missed by neighbors, friends, and the school system in which these kids were enrolled.

It is a tragedy all the way around.

[lizbud]

The second child died last night. May they all RIP


The mother had filed the application for food stamps back in July but
the case was hung up by red tape. Clearly she had become desparate
to get food for herself & her children.

Would it have killed them to give her a week's worth of stamps to tide
the family over until they completed the application ?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/2...-dies-15118043

[pomtzu]

The second child died last night. May they all RIP


The mother had filed the application for food stamps back in July but
the case was hung up by red tape. Clearly she had become desparate
to get food for herself & her children.

Would it have killed them to give her a week's worth of stamps to tide
the family over until they completed the application ?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/2...-dies-15118043

So tragic - so senseless - and so preventable!

[Cataholic]

I so agree, would a temporary pending full approval for a weeks worth of FOOD really been that big of a deal? So flipping sad.

[caseysmom]

People interviewed said sometimes she wouldn't accept their help, she was ill, I have no sypathy, kill yourself, leave your kids alone.

edited to add: I have no sypathy for the mom, I have all the sympathy in the world for those poor children. Mom sounded like she was mad and going to make a point and use her children to do it, how did her daughter post of facebook if they had no money?

[lizbud]

Mom sounded like she was mad and going to make a point and use her children to do it, how did her daughter post of facebook if they had no money?

The report I read said that the girl used a computer at the welfare office
during the hours long standoff.