04/10/2026
Texas Mother Faces Capital Murder Charges After Two Sons Killed in Waxahachie Shooting
A Texas community is reeling after a devastating shooting inside a Waxahachie home left two brothers dead and their mother facing two counts of capital murder.
Authorities identified the woman as 42-year-old Colleen Nichole Lemmon. According to the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a residence on Big Sky Drive shortly after 4 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, following a 911 call reporting an emergency.
When deputies entered the home, they discovered two males suffering from gunshot wounds.
One of the victims, 21-year-old Christopher Scott Pitre, was pronounced dead at the scene. His younger brother, a 15-year-old boy whose identity authorities initially withheld because he was a minor, was still alive when emergency crews arrived. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries.
Their mother, Lemmon, was also found injured inside the residence. Officials said her injuries were not life-threatening, and she was transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
What initially appeared to responders as a horrific family emergency soon became a homicide investigation.
Detectives began examining the home and collecting evidence to determine exactly what had happened during the early-morning hours. According to the sheriff’s office, investigators eventually developed probable cause based on evidence gathered during the investigation that allegedly connected Lemmon to the shootings of both of her sons.
After receiving medical treatment, Lemmon was taken into custody and booked into the Wayne McCollum Detention Center. She now faces two counts of capital murder.
Authorities have not publicly explained what they believe may have led to the killings, leaving one of the biggest questions surrounding the case unanswered: why would a mother allegedly turn a gun on her own children?
The investigation remains active, and additional details could emerge as detectives continue reviewing evidence and reconstructing the events surrounding the deaths.
The tragedy has also left the victims’ father and other family members facing an unimaginable loss. Authorities confirmed that the father was notified of both deaths.
Ellis County Sheriff Brad Norman expressed his sympathy for the grieving family, saying his thoughts were with the victims’ father, relatives and loved ones during what he described as an extremely difficult time.
For the Waxahachie community, the deaths of two young brothers have transformed an ordinary Texas home into the center of a deeply disturbing criminal investigation.
Lemmon has been accused and charged, but the allegations against her have not yet been proven in court. As the legal process moves forward, investigators will continue working to determine what happened inside the home—and, perhaps most importantly, what could have led to such a devastating loss of life.
