A 39-year-old mother and her two young children were found shot to death inside their luxury apartment in Odessa, Texas.
Police say the attacker was a teen boy who once dated the family’s 15-year-old daughter, and they called the violence a “cowardly act” that stunned the entire community.
On December 9, 2025, around 5:45 p.m., officers rushed to the Eighty Seventh Apartments after reports of gunfire.
Inside, they discovered Jennifer Rodriguez, 39, along with her 13-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, all dead from gunshot wounds.
According to New York Post, police has not revealed the suspect’s name a because of his age.
Police also say that he had originally planned to shoot Rodriguez’s 15-year-old daughter outside her school.
Instead, he changed course and went to the family’s apartment where he committed the heinous crime.
Thankfully, the girl was not physically harmed, and according to Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke, she is ok.
Authorities found the teen shooter 40 minutes after the crime, and he was taken into custody.
The boy is now held at the Ector County Youth Center and faces capital murder of multiple persons, one of the most serious charges under Texas law.
However, because he is under 18, he cannot receive the death penalty.
Police also recovered a handgun believed to be the murder weapon. Investigators also confirmed the attack was targeted and not linked to any gang activity, and a motive has not yet been released.
The children’s father, Roy Casey Martinez, shared his grief in an emotional message on a GoFundMe page created after the tragedy.
He wrote,
“Today, a young boy took the lives of my 9-year-old son, my 13-year-old daughter, and their mother, who was my ex-wife… My heart is extremely broken and I keep finding little pieces at a time wondering which piece goes where.”
Martinez said he never expected such a tragedy to strike his family and described the loss as something no parent could prepare for.
Police have identified who purchased the gun used in the killings, but they have not said how the teenage suspect got hold of it.
The investigation is still active as officials work to confirm more details, so for updates on this case and other high-profile cases sign up for our free newsletter here.
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