If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
SAN SABA, TEXAS: A Texas father killed his wife and shot himself in front of their child in an apparent murder-suicide that took place in a parking lot a day after he was served divorce papers. According to the San Saba Police Department, Ben Henniger, 45, shot Jo Lei Henniger, 40, and fatally shot himself on Wednesday, April 19 in the Lowe's Family Center parking lot where a juvenile witnessed the shooting.
"Upon officers’ arrival, it was determined that an altercation had occurred between a husband and wife, resulting in the death of both parties. An uninjured juvenile witness to the incident was also discovered at the location by a witness to the incident. The unnamed juvenile has since been relocated to live with other family members in the San Saba area," investigators said, reported Law and Crime.
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'This is a shocking and tragic situation'
The pair's son with autism witnessed the horrifying incident that took place amid his parents' divorce case. Before Jo Lei was fatally shot, Jo Lei had picked up the young son from his school, reported KWTX. According to Ben's Facebook page, the pair got married in September 2012. In a statement by Sana Saba Police Chief John Bauer, he stated, "This is a shocking and tragic situation. Words cannot express the depth of our condolences for the friends and family of those involved."
"I’m extremely grateful for the work of our first responders who, despite a traumatic situation, acted quickly and operated with the utmost professionalism. This is a sad day for our entire community, and we will work diligently to determine what occurred," the statement added.
Murder-suicide apparently took place on Ben's birthday
The couple's residence in Chappel is located near Cherokee Creek at an intersection of Farm Roads 501 and 1031, according to their Facebook pages. Though the alleged murderer's date of birth is not officially confirmed, Ben previously thanked his friends for their "birthday wishes' twice on April 19th over the years, the day the murder-suicide took place.
Ben kept posting pictures and videos of local rodeo events where his daughter participated and of his family roping animals. "For all the people that don't understand why we live this way of life," Ben wrote in 2019 on Facebook. " Sharing pictures of his daughter riding a horse, he wrote, "For all the bankers that say it doesn’t make sense on paper. For everyone that says we need to get a real job. For all those parents whose kids are playing video games. This is why we do it, this is our dream, To pass on our heritage, Our love, our values, and our way of life to the next ones in line. Thank you, Lord for giving me the chance to do this with my kids."
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