2 boys dead, woman shot and suspect turns gun on self:Houston Police

A Bay City woman shot three times by her husband, who then fatally shot their four children before killing himself, remained in critical condition two days after the attack. Laura Gonzalez last month went to a battered women's shelter after allegedly being assaulted by her husband, 24-year-old Jose Avila. Police said Gonzalez declined to press charges. Investigators said Avila on Wednesday afternoon shot his wife during an argument at the family's mobile home in the 2700 block of 10th Street in Bay City, 65 miles southwest of Houston. Police said Avila then shot their children, before turning the gun on himself. The children were taken by a Life Flight helicopter to Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. Police said all of them were shot in the head and later died. The children were identified as Cecilia Gonzalez, 2, Daniel Gonzalez, 3, Miguel Gonzalez, 4, and Sean Gonzalez, 5. Gonzalez was shot in the leg and abdomen. She is being treated at Memorial Hermann Hospital. Police said Avila died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A 12-year-old girl and her friend witnessed the shooting as they walked home from school. "He pointed the gun to the little boy and shot the little boy," Sierra Arsooa said. "Then he came to the car and shot the little girl and came back to over here and shot himself and fell to the floor." Avila and Laura Gonzalez had been fighting for weeks, investigators said. "Nov. 22 we took a report from her. He assaulted her," Officer Andrew Lewis said. "The officer took her to the women's crisis center. The detective investigating the case talked to her later, tried to get her to file charges against him, but she refused to do so." The mother and children had been living in a shelter until they returned to their home on Wednesday. Laura Gonzalez went to work at La Casona restaurant that morning and Avila showed up. A co-worker said Avila told Laura Gonzalez he wanted her to move her clothes out of their trailer. City officials said residents have been asking what they can do to help the family. Bay City has 18,000 residents, and they're trying to make sense of what happened. "Most communities never experience this, and hopefully we'll never have to go through it again," Police Chief Roger Barker said. "The community outpouring has been tremendous.


Investigators would not confirm how the victims and the shooter were related, but neighbors said the gunman was their father. Neighbors said the shooter had recently lost his job and was having problems with his wife. The children were reportedly all between 2 and 6 years old.
The woman and the four children were taken to Matagorda Regional Hospital, where the kids were later airlifted to other hospitals in Houston. The mother underwent surgery Wednesday afternoon at Matagorda Regional, Lt. Andrew Lewis with the Bay City Police Department said.
The names of the victims and the shooter have not been released.
Neighbors said the man shot his wife first, then his four kids, before shooting himself in the head.
"He worked nights and all of a sudden he was having trouble with his family," said Juan Elizondo, a neighbor. 　"He had lost his job."
Elizondo said his daughter saw everything as she walked home from school.
"His (youngest) kid was in the truck, and then he shot his other three kids, and then he shot himself in the head," Elizondo said.
Crime scene tape was spread outside the front of a beige trailer Wednesday night.
"A lot of people saw the two bodies on the ground, both of the little boys, one near his dad, and the little girl was apparently in the vehicle," said Lisa Perez, another neighbor.
Neighbors left candles, balloons and stuffed animals in a small pile in front of the home.
"It touches your family. I got little nieces this age and it just hurts your heart, especially around Christmastime. It’s very sad," said neighbor Irene Mendoza.
Other neighbors said the couple had split up within the past week, and that the wife had spent some time at a local women’s shelter. It’s not clear why the family reunited on Wednesday or what exactly led to the shooting.
Bay City ISD officials released a written statement on their Web site shortly after the incident.
"A terrible domestic family tragedy took place at a private residence near Bay　City Junior High and Cherry Creek Elementary," the district wrote. "The intent of this message is to confirm that at no time were any students or campuses in any danger (Wednesday). None of our students or staff have been injured. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family who suffered the tragedy (Wednesday) in Bay City."