A man was charged with capital murder on Thursday in the shooting deaths of four children and their parents at the suburban Houston home of his former wife's relatives to which he gained access disguised as a FedEx driver, police said, according to The Associated Press.
Ronald Lee Haskell, 33, has been held without bond since his arrest on Wednesday night after a four-hour standoff with police after the shootings occurred in Spring, about 25 miles north of Houston, Texas, the AP reported.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said Haskell opened fire on the family of, killing two boys ages 4 and 14, two girls ages 7 and 9, and their parents Stephen Stay, 39, and Katie, 33, according to the AP. Five of them were found dead and one of the children died after being flown to a hospital, the sheriff's office said.
Haskell arrived at the home wearing a FedEx shirt looking for his ex-wife, sister to slain mother Katie Stay, the AP reported. After they refused to tell him where she was, he tied all of them up and shot them in the back of the head.
FedEx said in a statement that Haskell had once worked for a contractor used by the shipping company, according to the AP.
The oldest daughter, 15, survived a shot to the head and called police and told them where the gunman might be going next, after he mentioned going after other family members, according to the AP. The teenager was airlifted to a hospital and remains in critical condition.
Police said the girl's tip enabled them to intercept Haskell on his way to the home of other relatives of his former wife, the AP reported.
"We don't know why this happened," said neighbor Paul Anthony Slawinski, according to the AP. "This man, his wife, and children were the definition of compassion and charity."
Mark Herman, assistant chief deputy for Harris County Constable Precinct 4, said in a telephone interview that Haskell and his wife were divorced in 2013 after a hard and violent marriage, the AP reported. There were conflicting police reports over whether Haskell lived in Texas or another state.
Constable Ronald Hickman told a news conference, "He came to this residence, gathered up the children that were here, and awaited the arrival of their parents. Some time later, the victims were shot at this residence. We have learned that Mr. Haskell was married to a relative of the residents of this home," according to the AP.
Haskell's arraignment was scheduled for Friday, the AP reported. In Texas, capital murder carries the possibility of the death penalty.
