Officers find family of 3 dead after going to apartment for welfare check, TX cops say
A married couple and their child were discovered fatally shot in a Texas apartment after officers went to the home to conduct a welfare check, police say.
Officers were dispatched to the San Antonio apartment Monday, March 20, when a relative grew concerned they hadn’t heard from the female victim since Saturday, according to San Antonio police spokesperson Jennifer Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said officers had to force entry into the apartment. When they made it inside, they found the bodies of a man, woman and child, police said.
It’s believed the man, who was in his early 40s, shot his wife and their child before turning the gun on himself, Rodriguez said in a news briefing streamed by KENS. The woman was in her late 30s, and the child was under 10, she said.
It’s unclear what day the killing took place. Police have not identified the family members.
The relative who called for the welfare check was outside the apartment when officers made the discovery, Rodriguez said.
Police did not say what type of gun was used in the shooting, only noting “some type of firearm” was found at the scene.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, intimate partner violence affects millions of people in the United States every year. About one in five women and one in seven men report having experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the CDC. For help and resources click the drop down arrow.
Domestic violence resources
If you or a loved one are in need of help these resources are available. You do not need to have an emergency to call the crisis hotlines.
- Kansas’s crisis hotline: 888-363-2287
- Missouri’s child abuse hotline: 1-800-392-3738
- Friends of Yates: Crisis hotline: 913-321-0951; toll-free crisis hotline: 855-232-0252
- Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault: Crisis hotline, 816-531-0233 for Missouri or 913-642-0233 for Kansas
- Safehome: 24 hour hotline, 913-262-2868
- Kansas City Anti Violence Project: Crisis hotline, available by text, call or email, 816-348-3665 or 913-802-4014 or info@kcavp.org
- Rose Brooks Center: Crisis hotline, 816-861-6100
- Hope House: Crisis hotline, 816-461-4673
- Newhouse: Crisis hotline, 816-471-5800
- Synergy Services: Crisis hotline, 816-321-7050 or 800-491-1114
- Any of the six Kansas City area metro domestic violence shelters can be reached at 816-468-5463.
If you are outside the Kansas City area the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233; the National Child Abuse Hotline is 800-422-4453; the National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-565-4673.