A Kentucky mother has been arrested for fatally shooting her two children, police say.
Tiffanie Lucas, 32, is facing two murder charges over the deaths of her nine-year-old and six-year-old sons, the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release.
Officers responded to a call about an incident at 213 Bentwood Dr in Shepherdsville on Wednesday. The children were transported to Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, where they died from their injuries around 2.50pm.
Officials did not release any identifying information for the children. A person of interest was detained at the residence following a 911 call.
According to the Lexington Herald Leader, the shooting took place at Ms Lucas’ home. Witnesses at the scene identified her as the shooter.
“The investigation is in its early stages and once more information becomes available, it may be released,” authorities said in a statement. “At this time, it appears all parties in relation to this incident have been accounted for and there is no threat to the community.”
Ms Lucas’ first court appearance was scheduled for Thursday at 9am, the outlet reported.
According to WLKY in Kentucky, a CBS affiliate, Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Col. Alex Payne said officials “did all we could”, when responding to the tragedy.
A neighbour discovered the brothers in the bedroom covered in blood after she saw the mother ouside. A gun was found on the bed, Mr Payne told the outlet.
“Whether you think it’s mental illness, just pure evil, a combination of both, it could be substance abuse, any combination thereof. Pick your poison. None of it’s good. The result is horrific,” Payne said.
The mother had previously spent a month in jail for drug possession, according to the TV station.
The children are reportedly half-brothers. The father of one of the sons is deceased, the official said, while the whereabouts for the other father are unknown. Officials alerted other family members about the incident.
Nearby neighbours were shocked to learn of the children’s deaths, the outlet reported.
“What’s this world coming to?” one resident told a WLKY reporter. “For a mother to shoot her two children like that?”
