A Wisconsin woman opened fire on her family, injuring the father of her children and killing her 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son before turning the gun on herself, the Middleton Police Department said in a Feb. 21 press release.
Police later identified the woman as Jessica Jessmon, 34, per The Wisconsin State Journal, 27WKOW and WORT-FM 89.9.
Her children, Mya and Major Lacey Robinson, were remembered by grieving family members as “vibrant souls full of laughter, curiosity, and boundless potential” per their GoFundMe page. “Their lives were cut short in this devastating incident.”
In one photograph shared by the families, Jessmon is shown smiling and hugging her daughter.
But at around 7:40 p.m. Feb. 18, Jessmon picked up a handgun and began shooting, according to police. Jessmon struck the 31-year-old man “multiple times as he exited the residence,” per police, who said that both elementary school-aged children were “struck and killed by gunfire.”
Subsequently, Jessmon “ended her own life,” per police.
The father was hospitalized with gunshot wounds but had been removed from intensive care as of the Feb. 21 press release.
“Domestic violence has no place in our community,” the department added in the release. “The Middleton Police Department remains committed to thoroughly investigating domestic violence incidents and enforcing the law to the fullest extent.”
Jessmon was a paralegal student at Madison Area Technical College, set to graduate this May, per her memorialized LinkedIn profile. She had previously worked as a pharmacy technician, administrative call-center receptionist, and, finally, as a financial analyst, a role that ended in 2019, she said.
A vigil was slated to be held Feb. 24, per a press release by the city, which included mental health resources.
“In times of adversity, we come together to mourn and strengthen our bonds, embodying the spirit that defines us,” Mayor Emily Kuhn said in a statement about the vigil. “Together, we’ll light the path of hope, solidarity, and healing for our community.”
How evil to kill your children, she should have just taken herself out.