Kenia Osorio: Mother shot dead in front of 8-year-old daughter by jealous lover in murder-suicide
HOUSTON, TEXAS: A man shot his ex-girlfriend to death in front of her eight-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself in a shocking murder-suicide outside Texas Children’s Hospital.
The disturbing incident reportedly took place shortly after 2 pm on Sunday, December 4, when the duo and the child arrived in a car at the Houston medical center. Authorities found 32-year-old Kenia Osorio shot to death inside the vehicle, next to the dead body of her boyfriend, who has not been identified. Meanwhile, Osorio's eight-year-old daughter was unharmed in the backseat.
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"I can only imagine what the kid is going through," HPD Assistant Chief Ban Tien said Sunday, per KHOU 11. Meanwhile, Osorio's family members told ABC 13 that the boyfriend was "obsessed" with the victim and was angry because she was patching things up with her husband and wanted to get back together. “As far as we know, he pretty much got obsessed because she decided to work things out with her husband and get back together with him,” Osorio's heartbroken brother Carlos Rivera told the station.
Osorio and the man were reportedly visiting the hospital to seek medical attention for her daughter, per a preliminary investigation. As the couple pulled into the parking lot on the West Campus, the man allegedly shot Osorio as she tried to exit the vehicle. He subsequently turned the gun on himself in the front passenger seat. Police said the victim's daughter was found sitting in the backseat and wasn't physically hurt. “Everything happened in front of my niece. I’m sure it’s hard for her to deal with that,” Rivera noted.
Osorio's family members said she was married but undergoing a divorce with her husband. She began dating the gunman a few months ago. The family said they only met the man once prior to the shooting on Sunday and did not know anything about him. They were also unaware of any other domestic violence issues prior to the incident. However, they said Osorio and her estranged spouse had recently decided to get back together and save the marriage for the sake of their two children. Their daughter and son are now in the care of their devastated father.
"My point is that only God knows why these things happen, even though we’re hurting emotionally now," Rivera said. "In the end, love will always cast out fear." He said he hoped his sister's death will remind others to cherish their loved ones. "And for everyone to not just let this be just another number for the statistics," he said. "For this to be something to wake up and reflect, to be closer to your loved ones and to take advantage of every minute you get with them because you never know when it's gonna be last time you see them."
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you are urged to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
If you or anyone you know is considering suicide, you are urged to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text the lifeline at 741741 or chat online here.