A mother and her six-year-old daughter lost their lives following a premeditated attack on March 27, 2026, during the afternoon hours at the Birdville ISD Stadium parking lot located in Haltom City, Texas. Authorities stated Monday that the gunman, who was the girl’s father, deceived his victims into meeting him at the site by promising to provide them with cash before shooting them and taking his own life.
Authorities in Haltom City identified the suspect as John Mbuyi, age 30, and revealed the victims were 33-year-old Raissa Thatukila and six-year-old Nathy Mbuyi, the couple’s daughter. Nathy attended kindergarten at Cheney Hills Elementary School within the Birdville ISD system.
Law enforcement arrived following numerous calls about gunshots at approximately 4:30 p.m., finding three individuals suffering from gunshot injuries in the parking area on the 6100 block of East Belknap Street. Authorities located Mbuyi outside a vehicle, whereas Thatukila and Nathy were found inside a white automobile. One person was pronounced dead on site, another passed away at a medical facility, and Mbuyi succumbed to his injuries soon after getting medical care.
Authorities concluded the attack was premeditated and targeted. Law enforcement uncovered a continuing custody battle between Mbuyi and Thatukila, and evidence revealed he held “significant grievances” against her. Investigators also learned Mbuyi was suffering personal turmoil after his father’s passing and had voiced troubling thoughts about death.
“This was not a spontaneous incident but a deliberate act of violence,” the Haltom City Police Department stated in a press release issued Monday.
Based on the investigation, Mbuyi traveled to the site in a U-Haul van. He had coordinated with Thatukila to meet him in the parking area, claiming he would provide her with cash. After she arrived with Nathy in a white vehicle, Mbuyi executed the assault he had meticulously prepared beforehand, firing at both victims prior to shooting himself.
Video footage obtained by local media outlets showed law enforcement setting up portable illumination as the investigation zone grew larger into the evening hours. Numerous emergency responders encircled the parking area, where police tape blocked off both the white vehicle and U-Haul van. Various law enforcement organizations helped Haltom City police conduct the investigation.
Principal Cheryl Waddell of Cheney Hills Elementary reached out to families with a communication acknowledging the tragic event. “We are devastated by the loss of one of our students and heartbroken that this tragedy occurred in our community,” Waddell said. The school system provided crisis counseling services on campus starting Monday and called off Saturday school sessions at Cheney Hills planned for the week.
Jacque Hall, who drives buses for the district and was finishing her route when she came upon the scene, had difficulty comprehending what took place. Hall informed reporters the incident would forever change the site, thinking about the death of someone so young.
Authorities stressed that the event was contained and does not indicate any danger to the wider community or school system. The department stated it would not provide further details, expressing a wish to allow the victims’ family and friends the privacy required to mourn.
The Birdville ISD community is now confronted with the challenging responsibility of helping students and staff impacted by the incident, especially those at Cheney Hills Elementary who were acquainted with Nathy.
The incident highlights an ongoing national emergency. Based on data from Everytown Research, homicide-suicide takes place more than once daily on average across the United States, with intimate partner violence being the most frequent contributing factor. Data from the Violence Policy Center suggests approximately 1,200 Americans perish in murder-suicides annually, with nine out of 10 cases involving a firearm.
