SAN ANTONIO – Neighbors say they are shocked to hear about the shooting deaths of an elderly couple.
San Antonio police said a woman fatally shot her parents in their home early Thursday morning.
SAPD: Woman fatally shot parents, 79 and 84, before turning gun on self
A woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was a close family friend.
“For this to have happened is just unbelievable. They were just like family to me,” she said.
The woman described the couple as caring and friendly people. She said the daughter took care of them often.
“I would’ve never thought of this from her. It’s just beyond my comprehension that this has happened,” the woman said.
Police said the daughter called dispatchers and admitted she had killed her parents. They said she then went to the backyard and shot herself as officers arrived at the scene.
The daughter was rushed to a nearby hospital in grave condition. Her parents were in poor health, and their daughter had been caring for them over the last 10 days, officials said.
No motive has been released, but mental health experts describe caring for the elderly as a hard job.
“Caring for elderly parents who are ill is very difficult under the best of circumstances," said Dr. Harry Croft, a psychiatrist.
Croft said the pandemic could add another layer of stress to an already stressful situation. He said depression, anxiety and aggression can build up when people don’t care for themselves.
Croft encourages people not to judge others so quickly.
“We don’t know what was going on before the 10 days. Perhaps, she, too, was frustrated,” he said.
The family friend said she will remember the family as happy people.
“I’m really going to miss them," she said.