(Facebook/Jason Sheats) Jason Sheats (right) poses with his two daughters Madison (left) and Taylor in an undated photo, one of the images in the photo collage Jason posted as his Facebook page profile picture after the June 24, 2016 tragedy when his wife Christy fatally shot their two daughters before she was gunned down by responding police officers.
Finding strength in Jesus Christ, Jason Sheats is starting to recover from the unimaginable horrors that he witnessed ironically on his birthday on June 24.
That day, the 45-year-old husband saw how his wife Christy, 42, snapped and repeatedly shot dead their two daughters – Taylor, 22, and Madison, 17 – in their home in Katy, Fort Bend county, Texas. Responding police officers then gunned down Christy after she refused to drop her gun following the shooting.
The traumatised Jason was left speechless for a few days after the tragedy. But last Tuesday, Jason broke his silence as he talked to investigators, telling them that he is being supported by his family and his faith, Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls told People.
“He was obviously in a lot of shock out at the scene,” Nehls said.
On Wednesday, Jason posted a message on his Facebook page, quoting Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
He also posted a photo collage of his daughters in happier times. The image of his late wife was visibly missing.
Both Madison and Taylor were laid to rest after a funeral at the Shelton Funeral Home in Decatur, Alabama, on Saturday, July 2. It was unclear when and where Christy was buried.
Jason told police that his marriage to Christy began to unravel in 2012 when she suffered from depression following the death of her grandfather, according to The Christian Post.
While she was on medication, she tried taking her own life three times, Jason said. They got separated on few occasions and had just reunited days before the tragedy.
That fateful Friday, Jason told investigators that he returned home from work to tell his wife in their backyard that he wanted a divorce.
“This would be the last birthday that you are going to ruin,” Jason told Christy.
Christy then called their daughters Madison and Taylor in their living room for a family meeting.
Jason told the investigators he thought they would be discussing the divorce.
This didn’t happen, according to Nehls. “She immediately pulled the weapon out and pointed it at Mr. Sheats and wanted to blame him: ‘You made me do this, you’re making me do this,'” the sheriff said.
“We asked Mr. Sheats for a motive in his own words,” Nehls said, according to NBC News. “He stated that he felt Christy wanted him to suffer.”
According to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting happened about 5 p.m. Friday. After Christy drew her gun and began shooting, “Jason Sheats and both daughters managed to get out of the house by going through the front door,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release on June 27. “Madison collapsed and died. Jason ran to the end of the cul-de-sac. Taylor ran into the street and Christy Sheats followed, shooting Taylor again. According to a witness, Christy Sheats went back inside the home to reload the gun. Christy Sheats returned and shot Taylor once more.”
It’s not clear if she fired at her husband, police said.
