Kids break through glass to escape as man shoots ex-wife and toddlers, Texas cops say

Two children broke through glass to escape domestic gun violence at a Texas home, according to police and local news reports. A 28-year-old mom and two younger children were shot during the incident.

Officers were called to the home in north San Antonio at about 7 p.m. Monday, April 10.

When they arrived, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said they found a 28-year-old woman who was shot through the neck and in her torso on the sidewalk.

The officers also found a 1-year-old and 2-year-old girl with gunshot wounds, McManus said during a news conference recorded by KSAT.

The mother and two female children were rushed to a hospital in critical condition, police said in a news release. One of the toddlers has died of her injuries.

DID YOU KNOW?: Puedes leer o enviar esta historia en español. Lee nuestra sección La Estrella aquí.

“It’s heartbreaking to see a family like this destroyed by someone who for whatever reason decided they would take a gun and shoot a couple of little kids and the mom,” McManus said at the news conference. “It’s just heartbreaking to see this happen.”

The other children — ages 8 and 11 — both escaped without injury, McManus said. One of the boys escaped through sliding glass doors, while the other boy broke through a bedroom window.

Investigators learned a 50-year-old man was arguing inside the house before he shot his ex-wife and their two kids, police said. He then escaped to his home, where police found and arrested him “without further incident.”

He faces charges of capital murder of a child under 10 and multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the news release.

“I have to add that this is infuriating,” McManus said during the news conference. “With all the resources and effort that we’ve put into assisting domestic violence victims and trying to prevent these things from happening, here we are tonight ... it’s just frustrating that these things continue to happen.”

McClatchy News is not naming the man to protect the identity of the woman and children.

This story was originally published April 11, 2023 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Kids break through glass to escape as man shoots ex-wife and toddlers, Texas cops say."