Sept. 26 (UPI) — A 12-year-old girl in Texas allegedly shot her father and then herself in an apparent murder pact she made with another girl to kill their families and pets, police said.
The girl, who was not identified because she is a child, was found lying in the street outside of a home in northwest Parker County with a gunshot wound to her head around 11:30 p.m. last Tuesday, Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said in a statement.
Her 38-year-old father, who was not identified to protect the identity of the child, was found by police inside the family’s residence with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Investigators believe the girl shot her father and fled before she shot herself, Authier said. A handgun was recovered from underneath her body.
The girl and her father were both taken by helicopter to a local hospital to be treated for their injuries and their conditions were not immediately known.
Police discovered during their investigation that the girl had planned the murder with another girl in the town of Lufkin “for several weeks,” Authier said.
That girl also allegedly plotted to kill her father but did not carry out her plans.
Parker County lies west of the city of Forth Worth and includes the exurbs of Weatherford and Azle. Lufkin is a small community about 220 miles away in east Texas.
“The pair had then planned for the Weatherford juvenile to drive to Lufkin, pick up the second juvenile suspect and run away together to Georgia,” according to the news release from Authier.
Lufkin Police, who are also investigating the incident, provided tips for parents on how to keep their children safe online in a statement about the shooting in Parker County.
“We would like to take a moment to remind parents that it is so important to know who their children’s friends are — whether at school, on social media, and even online gaming platforms,” Lufkin Police said.
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office has charged the girl in Lufkin with criminal conspiracy in the planning of the murder plot. Possible charges for the girl in Parker County were not immediately known.
“Due to the injuries, the age of the juveniles and the sensitive case matter,” Authier said. “Information released regarding this case will be limited.”
