A mother was killed and the father of her children was left critically injured after an alleged attempted murder-suicide during a custody exchange following the children’s Christmas visit, authorities said.
Around noon on Friday, Dec. 26, the 34-year-old woman arrived at a home in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, to pick up the three children she shared with the 45-year-old man, according to ABC 6, NBC 10 and Fox 29, citing local police.
Police said the two began arguing over custody. During the dispute, the man allegedly shot the woman and then turned the gun on himself, the outlets reported.
The children—ages 6, 4 and 1—were seated inside a car at the time and witnessed the shooting, Upper Darby Township Police Superintendent Timothy M. Bernhardt told reporters.
When officers arrived, the woman was found in the driver’s seat with a gunshot wound. Police attempted life-saving measures after removing her from the vehicle, but she died at the scene.
The man was discovered nearby on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound. He survived and remains in critical condition at a local hospital, Bernhardt said. If he recovers, he is expected to face charges, according to police and Fox 29.
Bernhardt said a custody order was in place and confirmed the children had been visiting their father for Christmas.
“They got into some type of argument when the male got out a gun and fired two shots at the female. He got out of the vehicle and shot himself one time,” Bernhardt said, according to Fox 29.
Police said the children are safe and have since been reunited with family.
“Those children will live with this trauma for the rest of their lives. There is no excuse for this kind of violence, and the damage it causes is permanent,” Bernhardt said.
“Please keep the children, the responding officers and the surviving family in your thoughts and prayers,” he added.
