A man is in jail, on capital murder charges, in connection with the death of his wife and her mother. NBC 5’s Maria Guerrero has more on the Garland investigation and the children police say were witnesses to the violence.
A mother and her daughter are dead and a man is in police custody after an apparent double-murder inside a Southeast Garland apartment Tuesday morning, police say.
Garland police said officers were called to a domestic disturbance at an apartment on the 700 block of Broadway Commons at about 8 a.m.
When they arrived, officers noticed the unit’s door had been forced open, and then noticed ‘two small children’ inside the unit, according to the Garland Police Department.
Officers moved in and rescued the little ones, according to police.
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As they entered, gunfire reportedly erupted from behind a closed door in a back bedroom.
“While [officers] were there, they heard gunshots coming from inside the apartment, an unknown location inside the apartments,” said Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau. “After the shots stopped, they heard a male voice speaking and that person was arrested as a shooter.”
The department said the officers took cover, issued commands, and "worked swiftly to ensure the children's safety." Police said it wasn't long before a man, identified as 35-year-old Brodrick Earl Kennedy, exited the bedroom and surrendered without further incident.
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When police entered the bedroom, they found two adult women who had been shot. One of the women was deceased, and the other was hospitalized, where she later died of her injuries.
Police identified the women as Kennedy's wife, 38-year-old Donillie Lashay Kennedy and Donillie Kennedy's mother, 58-year-old Shirley Jean Phillips.
“I was sleeping, and I was scared I was terrified but then I saw out the window and I saw police going inside the apartment,” said nearby neighbor Miguel Bautista. “I feel like nobody’s safe around here. Something very unexpected to happen. It’s sad too knowing that little kids who probably saw that.”
Garland police confirmed the children were physically unharmed and were the couple's children. Police said the children were turned over to the custody of their extended family.
"The Garland Police Department is offering its full support to the grieving families during this difficult time," the department said in a statement.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. A motive is not known.
Kennedy is currently being held in the Garland Detention Center and has been charged with capital murder. The bond has not been set, and it's unclear if he has obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
A capital murder conviction in Texas carries with it an automatic punishment of either death or life in prison without parole.
