Mom Shoots Kids, Kills Herself After Denied Food Stamps
A Texas woman has committed suicide and critically injured her two children after being denied food stamps.
Rachelle Grimmer, who recently moved to Texas, is believed to have entered the Texas Health and Human Services office in Laredo, where the tragic incident took place Monday.
With her two children by her side, sources claim Grimmer began waving a gun and making threats before locking herself in a private room within the office.
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Grimmer, 38, had unknowingly submitted an 'incomplete' application for food stamps in July and was denied as a result, according to msnbc.com.
A frustrated Grimmer decided to take matters into her own hands, even holding a male supervisor hostage for reportedly two hours.
Although law enforcement attempted to calm Grimmer through phone negotiations, they were unable to prevent what would happen next.
Despite the hostage being released, Grimmer remained in the office with her 10-year-old and 12-year-old before turning the gun on both children and fatally shooting herself.
According to Joe Baeza of the Laredo Police Department, Grimmer felt as though the system had failed her, Mail Online reports.
"What had happened was that she had shot each of her children once and herself once...She had issues and felt that she had been let down by social services in general."
Grimmer died at the scene, while her children were immediately rushed to hospital where they remain in a critical condition.
There were reportedly 25 other people in the office at the time of the incident, but all were successfully evacuated by law enforcement.
Although it is unclear what information Grimmer failed to supply in her application for government assistance, sources claim staff members had tried to assist her but were unable to contact her.
The department is now under scrutiny, and an internal investigation is said to be underway.
Baeza is convinced the matter goes beyond food stamps saying, "As you can probably imagine, I think she had a lot of other issues she was dealing with as well."
