Mom Dead, Kids Critical After Food Stamp Standoff

"LAREDO, TX — A woman reportedly shot her two children and then fatally shot herself in Laredo on Monday night, hours after she released a man she'd held hostage in a Texas Department of Health and Human Services office, authorities said.

"Investigator Joe Baeza, a Laredo Police Department spokesman, said a boy, 10, and his sister, 12, were flown to University Hospital in San Antonio with critical injuries after they were shot around 11:50 p.m. Monday. Their mother, 38, reportedly shot them before killing herself.

"She was pronounced dead at the scene in the 3800 block of Casa Blanca Road, Baeza said.

"Police have not yet released the names of the children or their mother, pending notification of their next of kin.

"`The children are very critical right now,` Baeza said, adding they were each shot once. `It didn't seem like they were being held against their will, they were just there with mom. It was an extremely violent scenario, and hopefully the children will pull through.`"

From mysanantonio.com...