A 12-year-old boy escaped from his barricaded home before his mother allegedly shot both his sister and herself dead in an alleged murder-suicide.
Police said a man and a woman had been arguing before the man fled the house in Dallas, Texas.
The 35-year-old mum then barricaded herself inside the property with her son and daughter, eight.
SWAT officers entered and tried to negotiate with the mum but she began firing shots, according to reports.
Officials retreated temporarily before trying to negotiate with the woman again.
But sadly they heard two gunshots and then found the mum and her young daughter dead on the ground on Monday.
The identities of the family have not been released.
Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall said: "When they arrived, they encountered a black male victim who stated that he and his wife had had an altercation.
“And as a result, she grabbed a firearm and fired several shots."
He added: "After several hours of negotiation one of the individuals, the 12-year-old boy, was able to get away from the location.
“However, the 8-year-old girl was still inside.”
Neighbours said they'd seen the kids playing outside just the day before the tragic incident.
