Oklahoma man kills ex-girlfriend, their 2 children before turning the gun on himself after he 'snapped during argument'
LAWTON, OKLAHOMA: A father has reportedly shot and killed his ex-girlfriend and their two children in southwest Oklahoma before turning the gun on himself, according to police.
Lawton Police Sgt. Tim Jenkins, in a statement on Wednesday, October 9, said that the father, identified as Russell Cliburn, fatally shot his ex-girlfriend Krystle Easley, and their two children Emma Cliburn and Kristo Cliburn at a home on the east side of the city on Saturday, October 5, afternoon.
The officer said that authorities have not yet confirmed the ages of the four family members, however, it is confirmed that the children were younger than the age of 10.
Reports stated that the mother of the children, Easley, was a special education teacher for Lawton Public Schools. Her Facebook profile stated that she had one of her children with Russell, known as "Red", five years ago in April 2014.
Jenkins added that Russell's parents witnessed the shooting and were shaken by the horrific incident. They could not provide a motive for why their son killed his family.
His brother, Justin C. Cliburn, however, claimed on Saturday that Russell was involved in an altercation which resulted in the shooting.
Justin, in a Facebook post, wrote: "Today, my brother and his ex-girlfriend got into an argument at my parents' house. We don’t know why, but it escalated and my brother snapped."
"He shot the ex-girlfriend, their two children, and himself. We have no idea why. We're heartbroken, angry, sorry, and confused. We're angry he took away our niece, nephew, and grandchildren," he added.
Justin, in his post, also apologized to Easley's family as he acknowledged what his brother had done. "We're devastated for Krystle's family. We're sorry for what he did, even as we could do nothing to stop it," Justin continued.
"We’re heartbroken to lose our brother and son, regardless of the circumstances. And we're confused and in shock by it all. Please respect our family's privacy, and refrain from liking, commenting, texting, etc. for now."
Easley's sister, Amanda Adams, while talking to KSWO, said she broke into tears after receiving the tragic news: "I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. I guess I don’t understand how a man can look his children in the face and take his children's lives like that."
Easley's brother, Michael Easley, opened a GoFundMe page to help with the funeral costs, writing: "My sister and her beautiful babies were abruptly taken away from us on 10-5-19. We are raising money for their funeral and/or memorial."
"The funds will also be for family that is far off that cannot make it without help. We have a large family and many of us are away for work. We appreciate all/any help you may provide," the page added.