Texas Teen Charged With Capital Murder After Shooting Ex-GF's Mother and Siblings Following Breakup

Shock and grief have gripped Odessa, Texas, after a mother and her two children—a 13-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son—were brutally killed inside their home. What makes this crime particularly horrifying is the fact that the main suspect in the triple shooting is a 15-year-old boy.

The incident, which police have described as a 'tragic and cowardly act of violence', has devastated the local community and raised urgent questions regarding the escalation of domestic disputes involving minors.

The Victims Identified And Their Relation to the Suspect

The incident occurred in the early evening of Tuesday, 9 December 2025, at 87th Street Apartments (8740 Hunter Miller Way). The Odessa Police Department (OPD) rushed to the scene after receiving reports about a shooting at an apartment complex.

When officers first arrived at the residence shortly after 5:45 p.m., they discovered a horrific scene: all three victims were tragically lifeless, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds inside their own home. Although the teen suspect immediately fled the scene following the shooting, law enforcement initiated an intense, brief search. They successfully located and apprehended the suspect just 40 minutes later, bringing the initial pursuit to a rapid end.

The victims were formally identified as 39-year-old Jessica Rodriguez, the mother, and her two children. For privacy reasons, the names of the children, a 13-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son, were not released by authorities. The relationship between the victims and the suspect was quickly established: the teenage boy was the ex-boyfriend of Rodriguez's surviving daughter, whose name was also withheld from the public.

A Targeted Attack: The Shooter's Original Plan

The devastating motive for the attack, as explained by Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke, was the suspect's reaction to a recent relationship breakup with Jessica Rodriguez's eldest daughter. He also said that the incident was intentional and highly targeted.

Initial findings from the investigation revealed that the 15-year-old was so consumed by the breakup that it led him to meticulously plan an act of violence. The authorities believe the teenager's original plan was to confront and shoot his ex-girlfriend outside her school, but he changed his mind at the last minute and proceeded instead to the family's residence, where the attack unfolded. The suspect allegedly entered the apartment unit and shot Rodriguez and the ex-girlfriend's two younger siblings before escaping on foot.

While she survived the attack, the police said the suspect's ex-girlfriend is physically unharmed but suffered profound emotional damage, especially with the death of her entire immediate family. Thus, she may need counselling or professional help.

Commenting on the incident, Gerke said, 'It was such a tragic and cowardly act of violence. It is the kind of thing that really marks a community. Particularly in this holiday season, it's a hurtful, horrible thing.'

GoFundMe Page for the Family

Roy Casey Martinez, the ex-husband of Rodriguez and father of the two slain children, expressed his devastating grief and set up a GoFundMe page explaining that such an unexpected tragedy is something 'no one can really prepare themselves for.'

'My heart is extremely broken and I keep finding little pieces at a time wondering which piece goes where!!' Martinez wrote. 'It will never be complete anymore but as long as, I keep picking up these small pieces maybe one day it'll form some type of shape again!!'

Meanwhile, in a display of community support, the fundraising efforts have already surpassed their initial goal of roughly £48,622 ($65,000). The current tally shows the generosity of donors, having reached £49,951 ($66,478) to date.