She is charged with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of her children, ages 6 and 9
A 32-year-old woman in the US has been charged after she allegedly shot and killed her two young sons, aged 6 and 9, the Independent reported. The Bullitt County Sheriff's Office in a press release said Tiffanie Lucas was arrested and charged with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of her children. The incident happened in Kentucky on November 8, when cops responded to a report of a shooting and found the children with gunshot wounds to their heads. The children died at a local hospital a short time later.
During a preliminary hearing, Bullitt County Detective Richard Beahl explained that Ms. Lucas claimed she was manipulated into carrying out the killings ''through Facebook, through the internet, or through WiFi.''
The woman claimed the shooting was an accident and that she would never do anything like this unless she was manipulated, Fox News reported. She told Detective Richard Beahl, ''I'm in such a bad spot,'' ''I'm so stupid,'' and ''I would never do anything like this unless someone manipulated me.''
Shortly after the incident, Ms. Lucas was also seen running out of her home and collapsing in a neighbour's driveway, saying her ''kids were dying.'' Police later found the boys lying in a bed, bleeding out next to a gun while she was collapsed in the front yard. As per the criminal complaint, four shots were fired in just 30 seconds.
Bullitt County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Col. Alex Payne said, ''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.''
The day after her arrest, a judge set her bond at $2 million for the two murder charges. She was also previously convicted of drug possession and spent one month in jail.
According to family members who cleared out her rental home, there was filth everywhere, an eviction notice on the counter, and utilities had been switched off.
One of the boy's stepmother said the family had reached out to Child Protective Services on several occasions, to report their concerns about Ms Lucas' parenting.
''Nobody can manipulate you to do such a horrific thing. Nobody can manipulate you to do that. We loved them so much. So many other people really loved them and could have been there to help them, but she wouldn't allow that. She was too selfish, and now they're gone,'' she said.