Colleen Lemmon (Waxahachie, Texas)

Introduction

Colleen Nichole Lemmon is a 42-year-old woman from Waxahachie, Texas, booked into the Wayne McCollum Detention Center on two counts of capital murder after authorities alleged she shot her two sons — 21-year-old Christopher Scott Pitre and his 15-year-old brother Brian — inside the family’s mobile home in the early hours of October 2, 2026, then cut her own wrists in an apparent suicide attempt that failed. Deputies found her bloodied at the scene, a handgun nearby, and a probable-cause narrative quotes her telling them “I shot both my kids.” She remains presumed innocent unless and until convicted; the charges have been described as preliminary pending arraignment.

Background Information

Lemmon lived with her sons in a trailer on Big Sky Drive in Waxahachie, an exurb south of Dallas that is the county seat of Ellis County and home to about 41,000 people. The boys’ father, Scott Pitre, told NBC 5 by phone that he had celebrated Brian’s 15th birthday with his sons at a lake the Sunday before the shootings, and said he now wants to be “the voice for justice” for them. Nothing in the public record suggests Lemmon had a prior criminal history, and authorities have not described any previous calls to the home.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Charges filed against her — not yet adjudicated. Lemmon has been booked on two counts of capital murder, described by authorities as preliminary charges pending arraignment, at which bond will be determined. She has not been indicted, has not entered a plea, and is presumed innocent unless and until proven convicted in court. The account below is drawn from the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office statements, a probable-cause narrative quoted by news outlets, and an arrest affidavit described in press reports — not from any trial record.

The case began around 4:13 a.m. on October 2, 2026, when dispatchers received a 911 call that hung up; a callback reached a female caller who said “all units were needed” before disconnecting again, according to the probable-cause narrative. Deputies responding to the home on Big Sky Drive said they could hear a woman yelling for more units and, through a window, could see she had blood on her hands. Once inside, they asked her where the blood came from, and she “said something to the effect of ‘I shot both my kids,’” the narrative states.

The brothers were found in separate bedrooms with gunshot wounds to the head. Christopher Pitre, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene; Brian, 15, was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition and later died of his injuries. Lemmon was found with non-life-threatening injuries — the arrest affidavit described by FOX 4 says deputies discovered her drenched in blood with self-inflicted lacerations on her wrists and a handgun nearby — and was taken to a hospital before being booked. Detectives cited “corroborating evidence” in finding probable cause that she shot both victims.

A motive remained unclear as of the latest reports. The Ellis County Criminal Investigations Division did not respond to The Post’s request for comment, and law enforcement has not described any prior disturbance at the home.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The story drew national coverage within a day, carried by the New York Post, Law&Crime and NBC 5, with the detail that a mother was accused of killing two of her children driving much of the attention. Neighbors expressed horror to local reporters — “It’s heartbreaking, and I’m praying for them,” neighbor Ida Brown told FOX 4, adding, “I didn’t even know them and it hurts.” Ellis County Sheriff Brad Norman issued a statement of sympathy: “My deepest sympathies go out to the victims’ father, family members, and loved ones involved in this tragic incident. They will remain in our prayers during this difficult time.” The boys’ funerals were planned for the following week.

Current Status

As of October 3, 2026, Lemmon is detained at the Ellis County Jail’s Wayne McCollum Detention Center, charged with two counts of capital murder; bond had not yet been set pending her arraignment, according to the sheriff’s office. No indictment has been handed up, no plea has been entered, and no trial date exists. The victims’ father has been notified of both deaths and has given interviews calling for justice for his sons.

Impact on Their Career/Life

There is no career to suspend: at 42, Lemmon’s life is now defined by the case, from a jail pod in Waxahachie to the capital-murder charge sheet that will follow every future proceeding. Capital murder in Texas is the offense eligible for the death penalty, and a conviction on either count carries a sentence of life imprisonment, with prosecutors in Texas having historically pursued capital prosecutions aggressively — though any such outcome here is hypothetical and would come only after indictment, trial and appeal. Two young men are dead, a father is burying both sons, and the trailer on Big Sky Drive stands as the scene of one of Ellis County’s deadliest family crimes in recent memory.

Sources

• New York Post, “North Texas mom fatally shoots two sons, fails to kill herself,” October 3, 2026 — source
• Law&Crime, “Mom shot and killed sons in middle of the night: Sheriff,” October 3, 2026 — source
• NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, “Waxahachie mom charged with capital murder in sons’ deaths,” October 3, 2026 — source
• Wikipedia, “Capital punishment in Texas” — source
• Wikipedia, “Waxahachie, Texas” — source