A 6-year-old girl and her mother are dead after a planned ambush on Friday afternoon in the parking lot of Birdville ISD Stadium in Haltom City, Texas. The shooter, identified as the child’s father, lured his victims to the location under the pretense of giving them money before opening fire and killing himself, police said Monday.
Haltom City police identified the suspect as 30-year-old John Mbuyi and named the victims as 33-year-old Raissa Thatukila and their daughter, 6-year-old Nathy Mbuyi. The child was a kindergarten student at Cheney Hills Elementary School, part of the Birdville ISD system.
Officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire around 4:30 p.m. on March 27, discovering three people with gunshot wounds in the stadium parking lot on the 6100 block of East Belknap Street. Mbuyi was found outside a vehicle, while Thatukila and Nathy were discovered inside a white car. One victim died at the scene, another at the hospital, and Mbuyi died shortly after receiving medical treatment.
Investigators determined the shooting was premeditated and targeted. Detectives found an ongoing custody dispute between Mbuyi and Thatukila, and evidence showed he harbored “significant grievances” toward her. Police also determined Mbuyi was experiencing personal distress following his father’s death and had expressed concerning thoughts related to death.
“This was not a spontaneous incident but a deliberate act of violence,” the Haltom City Police Department said in a statement released Monday.
According to investigators, Mbuyi drove to the location in a U-Haul van. He had arranged for Thatukila to meet him at the parking lot, telling her he would give her money. Once she arrived with Nathy in a white car, Mbuyi carried out the attack he had carefully planned in advance, shooting both victims before turning the gun on himself.
Aerial footage captured by local news crews showed investigators bringing in portable lighting as the crime scene perimeter expanded throughout the evening. Multiple emergency vehicles surrounded the parking lot, where crime scene tape cordoned off both the white car and U-Haul van. Several law enforcement agencies assisted Haltom City police with the investigation.
The shooting occurred after school hours, and no district activities were scheduled at the stadium or nearby facilities at the time. Birdville ISD officials moved quickly to clarify that the violence was not connected to school operations.
Cheney Hills Elementary Principal Cheryl Waddell addressed families in a message confirming the tragedy. “We are devastated by the loss of one of our students and heartbroken that this tragedy occurred in our community,” Waddell said. The district made crisis counselors available on campus beginning Monday and canceled Saturday school sessions at Cheney Hills scheduled for the week.
Jacque Hall, a bus driver for the district who was ending her shift when she encountered the crime scene, struggled to process what had happened. Hall told reporters the tragedy would permanently mark the location, reflecting on the loss of such a young life.
Police emphasized that the incident was isolated and does not suggest any threat to the broader community or school district. The department said it will not release additional information, citing a desire to give the victims’ family and friends the privacy needed to grieve.
“Out of respect for the family and friends affected by this tragedy, the Haltom City Police Department will not be releasing any further information related to this incident,” the department said.
The Birdville ISD community now faces the difficult task of supporting students and staff members affected by the tragedy, particularly those at Cheney Hills Elementary who knew Nathy.
The shooting underscores a persistent national crisis. According to Everytown Research, homicide-suicide occurs more than once a day on average in the United States, with intimate partner violence serving as the most common precursor. Research from the Violence Policy Center estimates nearly 1,200 Americans die in murder-suicides each year, with nine out of 10 incidents involving a firearm.
Anyone experiencing domestic violence can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, with services available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers anonymous, 24-hour help by calling or texting 988.
Sources:
https://www.keranews.org/news/2026-03-30/haltom-city-murder-suicide-birdville-isd-stadium
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tarrant-county/haltom-city-shooting-killed-mother-daughter-was-premeditated-police/287-107d8b36-7e68-4bff-ad8c-c586c9f9a154
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/haltom-city-shooting-ambush-child-killed/
https://www.fox4news.com/news/birdville-isd-stadium-shooting
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/haltom-city-incident-birdville-isd/
https://everytownresearch.org/report/dual-tragedies-domestic-homicide-suicides-with-a-firearm/