"Whether you think it's mental illness, just pure evil, a combination of both, it could be substance abuse, any combination thereof. Pick your poison. None of it's good. The result is horrific."
Kentucky police made a gruesome and heartbreaking discovery this week after finding two children fatally shot in their home.
The Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday, they had charged 32-year-old Tiffanie Lucas with two counts of murder in the homicide deaths of her children. Authorities are not naming the young victims, who were 6 and 9 years old.
Law enforcement say they responded to a report of a shooting on Wednesday morning in the Shepherdsville area. Inside a residence they found the victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Local news obtained the arrest report, which details a witness claiming to have entered the home only to discover the two boys in one of the bedrooms. A gun was also found on a bed, which authorities believe is the murder weapon, according to WLKY.
Both boys died soon after at a local hospital.
"We did all we could," chief deputy Alex Payne said. "There were two victims in the bedroom. They were covered in blood and a gun on the bed."
"Whether you think it's mental illness, just pure evil, a combination of both, it could be substance abuse, any combination thereof," Payne continued. "Pick your poison. None of it's good. The result is horrific."
The father of one of the victims is deceased. The father of the other victim is unknown. Whereabouts are unknown.
The children are said to have been half-brothers.
"The father of one of the victims is deceased. The father of the other victim is unknown. Whereabouts are unknown. Other family members, we got hold of and made notification," Payne told press.
The suspect is said to have a previous drug possession conviction.
Neighbors of the family were in shock.
"I'd seen them outside a few times. I work third shift, so I'd get home at 7 and see them waiting on the bus," one neighbor, Amanda Mangis, told WLKY.
"It's sad. I mean, what's this world coming to? For a mother to shoot her two children like that?" said another neighbor, Steve Steier.
Lucas is being held on a $2 million bond, a judge is said to have entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf.