Texas mom shoots self, children after welfare standoff

LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A mother who had been denied welfare benefits killed herself and shot her two children after a seven-hour standoff at a government social services office, police said.

The children, a 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, were in critical condition this afternoon, Laredo police investigator Joe Baeza said.

The standoff began around 5 p.m. Monday afternoon. Baeza said the woman was speaking with two employees when she pulled out a gun and said she wanted to speak to a supervisor. When the supervisor arrived, he convinced her to let the employees go in exchange for keeping him.

Meanwhile, about 25 other people were moved to safety, police said.