KATY, Texas — A father who is the lone survivor after his wife fatally shot his two daughters, before being gunned down by police, said his wife accomplished what she set out to do: make him suffer.
Jason Sheats, 45, watched in horror from the end of a cul-de-sac Friday as his wife killed both of their daughters, leaving neighbors stunned, friends and family in mourning and investigators searching for answers.
Fort Bend County Sheriff’s deputies released more details Wednesday about what happened inside the Katy area home at 6011 Remson Hollow Lane.
On the day of the tragedy, Christy Sheats called her husband and two daughters — Taylor and Madison — into the living room for a meeting.
The father said there were several things causing tension in the family that he thought were going to be discussed. Christy Sheats disapproved of Taylor’s relationship with her fiance and wanted to “ground” her, but the father said Taylor was too old to be grounded at the age of 22. In addition, the couple was having marital problems and were heading toward a divorce. He thought possibly they would tell their kids about their decision that day. The couple had separated several times in the past, investigators said.
Things got heated once they were all assembled, and Christy Sheats pulled out a gun.
The daughters called 911 and operators could hear them pleading for their lives before gunfire erupted. The horrifying calls were released to the public. They’re very graphic.
On the first of three calls, you can hear Madison crying from inside the house. “I’m sorry….no…please don`t shoot us (scream)!”
Later, you can hear Jason Sheats pleading, “I promise you, whatever you want.”
Both girls were shot inside the house, but still managed to run outside, with their mom on their tails. Taylor and Madison both fell in the street, but the father managed to make it a safe distance away.
He said neighbors tried to keep him out of the line of fire, and he was forced to watch helplessly as his daughters struggled.
A neighbor called 911 describing what he saw. That call was also released to the public. The neighbor said the daughters were lying on the ground, but the mother was still armed. The neighbor said the man who was trying to help the young women was yelling back and forth with the woman.
“She’s wearing a purple dress. They are in the middle of the street. Two ladies laying in the street and there is a guy trying to help them but the lady is on top of one of them with a gun in her hand,” the neighbor said. “It looks like both of them are alive, and you know she is trying to shoot again on top of her but apparently she has no more bullets. She is going inside the house now. Hopefully it is not to look for more bullets.”
The neighbor then described in horror what happened next. Christy Sheats returned to the home, reloaded her gun and returned. She walked up to Taylor and fired again.
“She’s coming back again, she’s coming back again, apparently she has more bullets now. Oh! She shot her again, she shot her again,” he said.
An FBCSO deputy and an officer with the Fulshear Police Department arrived at the scene and witnessed the mother shooting her daughter. The mother then began to approach the officers, ignoring their commands to drop the gun, and the Fulshear PD officer was forced to shoot her. Christy Sheats, 42, died at the scene.
Madison Sheats was also pronounced dead. The 17-year-old attended Seven Lakes High School.
Taylor Sheats was taken to a hospital, where she died. She attended Lone Star College and was to planning to get married within a week.
Jason Sheats was left with the task of explaining the family’s history to investigators and plan the funerals for his loved ones. He did not speak to the media, but investigators shared at the press conference what they learned.
According to the husband, Christy Sheats began to sink into depression after her grandfather and her mother died in 2012. He said she had a difficult time dealing with the loss and also became unemployed the same year. The couple’s relationship went downhill after that, investigators said.
Jason Sheats said his wife was taking numerous prescription medications, but the names of the drugs have not yet been released. He also said his wife drank heavily, but it is not known if she was drinking on the day of the deadly shooting.
Investigators said the .38 caliber handgun Christy Sheats used to kill her children belonged to her late grandfather. She applied for a concealed handgun license before, but was declined.
Records show Christy Sheats attempted suicide three times in 2012. She had also been treated at three different private mental health facilities in the past four years.
In addition to responding to calls about the suicides, deputies have gone to the home for multiple incidents in the past, including five false alarm calls, one medical call, a call from the Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Team, a verbal altercation call, and a 911 call from Christy Sheats requesting to speak to a deputy.
Jason Sheats said he had a very loving relationship with his daughters and believe his wife left him alive as punishment.
“This is something that he is going to have to live with for the rest of his life,” Sheriff Troy E. Nehls said. “She wanted him to suffer.”
