Witness describes moments before father killed 2 toddlers, himself in Orange County

A witness spoke exclusively to WESH 2 News about the moments before the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said a father shot and killed his two toddlers and then took his own life at an apartment complex Friday night.The shooting happened at the Palmetto at Lakeside apartments on Rio Grande Avenue near Orlando.A woman named Tee told WESH 2’s Pattrik Perez that she was helping one of her daughters move out of the complex when she saw a man chasing after a woman.”The guy just started charging at her, running at her full speed, and the girl (…) she screamed, and she just took off running behind the apartments into the courtyard,” Tee said. “He was catching up with her, and he ended up disappearing as well.”At that moment, Tee says the man and woman’s two children — a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old — were left alone outside. She and her family kept an eye on them.”I was trying my best not to fully get involved because I didn’t know those people. I’ve never seen the mom. I’ve ever seen the dad,” Tee said.At one point, she said, the children’s father returned and took the kids to an apartment upstairs, according to her daughter. Then, while on the phone with her daughter, the unthinkable happened.”We heard like four to five gunshots,” Tee said.Deputies said the father shot the two toddlers before taking his own life.Video provided by Tee shows deputies huddled around the children, rendering aid, before EMS took them to the hospital. The sheriff’s office said they would later die from their injuries.”I cannot get those babies’ faces out my head, especially the little girl. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to,” Tee said. She said she feels guilty she couldn’t do more, but she was concerned for her own family’s safety after witnessing the father’s behavior. “I just wish we would have taken them inside. He would not have known which apartment they were in. He wouldn’t have known where to come looking,” she said. “I just pray for the family. I pray for (their mother) and her strength.”Deputies say the mother of the two toddlers was not hurt. They have not yet identified the children or their father.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —

A witness spoke exclusively to WESH 2 News about the moments before the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said a father shot and killed his two toddlers and then took his own life at an apartment complex Friday night.

The shooting happened at the Palmetto at Lakeside apartments on Rio Grande Avenue near Orlando.

A woman named Tee told WESH 2’s Pattrik Perez that she was helping one of her daughters move out of the complex when she saw a man chasing after a woman.

“The guy just started charging at her, running at her full speed, and the girl (…) she screamed, and she just took off running behind the apartments into the courtyard,” Tee said. “He was catching up with her, and he ended up disappearing as well.”

At that moment, Tee says the man and woman’s two children — a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old — were left alone outside. She and her family kept an eye on them.

“I was trying my best not to fully get involved because I didn’t know those people. I’ve never seen the mom. I’ve ever seen the dad,” Tee said.

At one point, she said, the children’s father returned and took the kids to an apartment upstairs, according to her daughter.

Then, while on the phone with her daughter, the unthinkable happened.

“We heard like four to five gunshots,” Tee said.

Deputies said the father shot the two toddlers before taking his own life.

Video provided by Tee shows deputies huddled around the children, rendering aid, before EMS took them to the hospital. The sheriff’s office said they would later die from their injuries.

“I cannot get those babies’ faces out my head, especially the little girl. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to,” Tee said.

She said she feels guilty she couldn’t do more, but she was concerned for her own family’s safety after witnessing the father’s behavior.

“I just wish we would have taken them inside. He would not have known which apartment they were in. He wouldn’t have known where to come looking,” she said. “I just pray for the family. I pray for (their mother) and her strength.”

Deputies say the mother of the two toddlers was not hurt. They have not yet identified the children or their father.