Woman to face charges in shooting deaths of her daughters, their father

PHILADELPHIA >> Philadelphia police say a woman will face charges in the shooting deaths of her two young daughters and their father assuming she recovers from a gunshot wound they believe was self-inflicted, and from which she “demanded not to be resuscitated.”

Officers called to a row home in the city’s northeast section shortly before 10 p.m. Monday found a 38-yearold man dead of a gunshot wound to the head. A 4-year-old girl and a 10-month-old girl also shot in the head were rushed to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where they were pronounced dead shortly afterward, police said. The names weren’t released pending notification of the father’s relatives.

The 28-year-old woman was taken in critical condition to TorresdaleFrankford Hospital, where police said she was “being held as (a) prisoner.” Homicide Capt. Jason Smith said the woman had legally purchased the day before a 9mm handgun found at the scene.

“While being transported to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in the back of a fire rescue unit, she admitted to shooting everyone and demanded not to be resuscitated,” said Smith, adding that there had apparently been “domestic discord” between the couple involving child support payments.

The woman will be charged with three counts of murder, child endangerment and possessing an instrument of crime, assuming she recovers, said Smith, adding that he understood that her prognosis was good. “She’s scheduled to have surgery ... but from what I understand, she is expected to survive,” he said.

Smith said he didn’t at the moment have any information indicating a record of domestic problems at the address, but he had been dealing with a number of other recent homicides.

“It’s certainly been a deadly week, a deadly year,” he said, noting that the department had recorded 13 more homicides than at this point last year , when the 353 homicides marked the largest annual total since 2007.