St. Louis Woman Arrested For Shooting Her 4 And 5 Year-Old Kids With A Shotgun: This Is Why We Do What We Do…
An Illinois woman suspected in the shotgun deaths of her two youngest children was arrested in Missouri after allegedly hitting three pedestrians with her car near St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Illinois State Police said Thursday.
Authorities said they arrested the woman Wednesday night in St. Louis as she sat with a shotgun on a bench outside KMOV-TV after the wreck. Officers in nearby East St. Louis, Ill., responded shortly before to reports of shots fired and found the bodies of a 4-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy in a bedroom of the family’s apartment, state police Capt. James Morrisey said.
Autopsies on Thursday determined that each child was shot once in the head at close range with a shotgun and died instantly of the “devastating” injuries, said Danny Haskenhoff, St. Clair County’s chief deputy coroner.
The woman’s 8-year-old son managed to escape unharmed and was in a relative’s custody Thursday, Morrisey said.
Investigators have interviewed the 25-year-old woman, who remained jailed Thursday in St. Louis, and “have an understanding” of why the shootings happened, Morrisey said without elaborating.
A spokeswoman for the St. Clair County, Ill., prosecutor’s office said no charges were expected Thursday, though they could be filed Friday.
Word of the woman’s arrest sparked celebrations among a throng that gathered Wednesday night outside the apartment where the killings took place.
“This is a horrific scene inside,” East St. Louis Police Capt. Bobby Cole told reporters before gesturing toward the onlookers. “Once we got word of her being in custody, they erupted in praise and clapping of the hands.”
The suspect’s relatives told media outlets she recently had been prescribed medication to treat depression or a mental illness.
Word is that the woman lost her mind after being laid off.
Words cannot begin to really convey the deep hurt we feel in our hearts. Two beautiful children’s lives are DONE…OVER. This is senseless. How must this young mother have been feeling? I can only imagine. We read some comments across the web from folks who passionately expressed their pain and anger over this incident. Here are 2 such comments (Warning: These reactions are raw and “in your face” to say the least. We did not alter.)
“I’m sorry. But I can relate to her. I haven’t hurt my children, but I too am a single mother of 3 and I’m 25. I face many issues. Reading stories like this keep me strong kind and LOVING to my children. Because its not their fault. (Although 2 of them came from rape). It does get very hard. Especially if you dnt hv any family support(like me) or friends you trust. What we need is GOD. Anyone can snap. ANYONE. So calling her names and saying what should happen to her is not going to change WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU. We are all capable of murder. We need to find our salvation in JESUS. This is the only reason why I haven’t gone crazy and killed my self. The love that God has shown me kept me. I am still very kind motivational loving and sweet. You would never be able to guess I’ve been thru what I hv. We all hv a choice. She could hv chosen differently, but look at how society deals with “emotions” now a days. We are cold and heartless. Lets be more caring and supportive for a change!!! Bet NO ONE gave a f about them kids until they were killed!!!!”
The below comment is in response to the one you just read.
“If you can relate, keep your FU*K*K*ING LEGS closed and STOP having babies with men that cant afford them! Its that ny*g*ah syndrome thats a problem within our society. Black women feel they can do rear children alone and that makes them independent and strong! Well I have news for you: it makes you STOOPID and wore out! Yes black women are strong, but why raise a child alone if you dont have to!!? Wait to you meet a decent man, get to know him, and have you thought of the word “marriage?” Look up the definition of that word! You can get a ring you know?!! Uggh.
I have an ex-friend who has two children with a man thats a deadbeat. He’s in his mid 20’s, no job, a dirtbag, petty hustler, no secondary education and no clue. He didnt want the two kids she had, which or now 5 and 7, and she constantly complained about him and his trifling ways, and how she wants to do better. Instead of doing better, what does she do? Gets pregnant with her third child by the same man,and is due any day!!! Real STOOPID… Im tired of black men’s sorry, a*z*Z behavior but unfortunately the women know they’re dealing with trashy men, but are willing to accept ANYTHING to say they have a man, which in reality THEY DONT, and the kids are the ones who suffer! So STOP being a piece of trash and doing ny*gger shy*te, use A CONDOM or all the other HUNDREDS of birth control thats available to you!! Stop blaming society for your OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS and Hood mentality. Trifling A*Z*Zes keep breeding trash: Hoes andCriminals. Get a clue, people are sick of you! If you can afford them DONT have them. The world is over as we know it. Middle class is disappearing and gov’t money is running out. The Recession is real, dumb dumb!!”
Our question is this BLAM Fam:
How might this young lady and these childrens’ lives have played out if she had the support of a strong husband and a strong family system?
Our prayers and silent meditations are with this young lady, her surviving 8 year old son, her family and each and every man, woman, and child in our community out here trying to make it—-trying to survive.
Source: Associated Press
I have not walked in her shoe nor felt her despair but pray for her and her remaining family. I have had my own single mom situation; due to divorce. Marriage or no marriage always have it in your mind that you could end up ole provider. The ens goal for our community is education and self sufficiency!
I was married very young to a police officer who beat me. We were financially stable but the violence and verbal abuse. i dated this man three years before we married. He never even so much as raised his voice to me. So stop assuming you know every black woman's situation people. I stayed until my children and my self were damaged inside and out. Just because I was afraid of what people would say about a single young black mother of 3. I have had days when I have wanted to off my self; not my children. I had no help but I went of and found therapy (waitlisted) they put me on a waiting list for therapy. Then the psychologist tried to give me some meds that had me thinking some crazy SHIT! I thought people were looking in my windows and following me. The drugs kept me up all night. This was over 20 years ago. The thing is these doctors still hand out pills like candy that can make you go from slightly mentally impaired to completely crazy. Also folks being married does not work for every family so do not assume that because a black woman is a single mother that she was never in a committed. marriage. what this woman needed was support and a psychologist that monitored their patients medication. She was given drugs that I swear they pass out like candy and shove people out the door. This is more prevalent in white communities because they don't see the use of mental health professionals the same way we do. We tend to try to be strong; these medications are dangerous and the doctor should stand beside her on trial!
Everyone has crazy thoughts everyone. If someone tells you they don't have crazy thoughts they're lying to you. You can't control what thoughts come into your head but you can control which thoughts you continue to think about. If at any given time you don't like the way you are feeling ask your self "What am I thinking about". Change your thoughts and you'll change the way you feel. Noone teaches us this. She didn't know this. She thought every thought she had was real. She didn't know she she could change the way she felt by changing her thoughts. Don't get me started I'll preach forever about emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Why can't we teach this stuff in school? To the person who responsed to the first comment I smell tea party all over you.
When we don't help those in our communities that need help, we all suffer. These two children paid for our negligence with their lives. Supportive neighbors could've prevented this. The children's mother is a victim of how heartless our communities have become. Now, this young lady requires psychiatric care and medication, not a prison sentence.
If she'd had a husband and supportive family, the brother would've taken some of the load off of her (losing the job would've been so catastrophic, either, if he was working!). Her mother would've watched the kids for her, and her sisters would've taken her to get her hair and nails done, and to a movie.
She would've come home tired, but happy, kissed the kids and put them to bed. Then she would've put a great spin on a good day and sexed up the brother. Everybody would've fallen asleep happy. You know, like those of us who are married, with kids do……
Wow….this is so sad. But, I agree with what's been said this woman needs compassion but consequences at the same time. That's why sites like this are so dag on important!
Wow is all I can say. I am a 26 yo engaged and I have a son and went thru post partum depression which is what this woman must have been going through. I sought out help and had support from family & friends. My fiance who is the father of my son was very supportive. I am lucky and from the grace os God and therapists and the support I had from my fam & friends. I am lucky and the woman who killed her children needs serious help. And to the person who responed to the womans comment clealy has some issues and needs to work on that.
It is obvious this woman had an lack of coping skill;that could of intentionally help her to deal with life transgression. Dealing with the system, can be s very hard when you are in African American woman. Society intends to be more harsh on women of color. I am not trying to justify her action; but, being sensitives to each other needs can change an person for life . As, for her needing god, no I do not think so ,this woman was in need of something more tangible. People often get mixed up with trying to hear the voice of this so called god; and then the example in Adam in the bible wanting to use his son for sacrifice;then this so called god stop him in is path; makes it worse. Yet, no voice could be heard to stop her from taking her children off this planet ,rationality was over powered by unethical and illogical thinking. We must learn to listen to our on good voice of critical thinking and good reasoning . The system failed her and then this beautiful African American woman failed herself. There is a cry for more African American Psychiatrist and Psychologist, that are needed in the communities ,so that there well be more good copy skills , rather then unethical acts of endurance.
The response to the first comment is ridiculous. Obviously that person did not read. She clearly said that two of the three children were from RAPE. I applaud a woman who is strong enough to love children produced from something so heinous. Second, I applaud her transparency because parents do get tired and it does become too much for them. So before someone passes judgment, READ the response or LISTEN to the explanation and try to see it from their eyes.