Mother Charged After Two Sons Killed in Texas Home

By Taylor Bennett. Oct 7, 2026

An Early-Morning Call Led Deputies to Two Sons

A Texas mother is facing two capital murder charges after her two sons were found shot inside a Waxahachie home early Thursday, according to the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. Colleen Nichole Lemmon, 42, was taken into custody after investigators said evidence collected at the scene identified her as the suspected shooter.

Deputies were sent to the home on Big Sky Drive shortly after 4 a.m. on Oct. 1 following a 911 call reporting an emergency. Inside, they found 21-year-old Christopher Scott Pitre and his 15-year-old brother suffering from gunshot wounds. Christopher was pronounced dead at the scene, while the younger boy was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died.

Authorities have not publicly identified the younger victim because he was a minor. The sheriff’s office said the boys’ father was notified, and Sheriff Brad Norman expressed sympathy for the victims’ father, relatives and loved ones as investigators continued working through the case.

Lemmon was also found at the residence with injuries that officials described as not life-threatening. She received medical treatment before being booked into the Wayne McCollum Detention Center. The sheriff’s office said the evidence gathered during the initial investigation led detectives to treat her as the suspected shooter.

Two Capital Murder Charges Followed

Lemmon now faces two counts of capital murder. Those charges are accusations, and the available reporting did not indicate that she had entered a plea as of the latest updates. Authorities also had not publicly described a motive or released a detailed sequence explaining what happened inside the home before deputies arrived.

The early-morning timing and the family relationship place the case around a small number of confirmed facts: two brothers were found shot in the same home, one died there, the second died after being taken to a hospital, and their mother was arrested after receiving treatment for her own injuries. Investigators have said the case remains active.

The sheriff’s office has not released additional evidence from the home, and officials have not said whether anyone else was present when the shooting occurred. There has also been no public explanation of who placed the original 911 call beyond the department’s description of an emergency report.

Christopher was 21, old enough for authorities to release his name, while his younger brother’s identity has been withheld. That difference leaves the public record focused more heavily on Christopher even though investigators are treating both deaths as part of the same case.

The charges against Lemmon came quickly after the deaths. According to CBS Texas, deputies responded shortly after 4 a.m., the younger boy later died at the hospital, and Lemmon was booked after she was medically cleared. People reported that she was being held on the two capital murder counts as the investigation continued.

A Family Case With Key Questions Still Open

Authorities have not publicly explained what they believe led to the shootings. They also have not released information about any prior calls to the home, possible disputes, or other circumstances that might have preceded the emergency response. Those gaps remain important because Lemmon has been charged but has not been convicted.

For the victims’ family, the immediate fact is the loss of two sons in the same morning. The sheriff’s public statement centered on the father and other relatives who were notified after the shooting, while investigators continued collecting evidence and preparing the case for court.

The younger victim’s name remains private, and officials have asked the public to allow the investigation to proceed. The case is now moving from the initial response inside the home to a capital murder prosecution that will have to address the evidence gathered there and the deaths of both brothers.

References: Waxahachie mother charged with capital murder in deaths of her two sons, sheriff says | Texas Mom Charged With Capital Murder in Fatal Shooting of 2 Sons