An Angleton community is reeling from a horrific incident wherein a mother is accused of fatally shooting two of her own children, and injuring two others. Oninda Romelus, a 31-year-old woman from the Houston area, has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, as reported by KPRC 2.
The Brazoria County Sheriff's Office stated that the call for help came in at around 4:48 a.m. last Saturday. Deputies discovered Romelus and her four children at a gas station on Highway 288, with the children suffering from gunshot wounds. Tragically, a 13-year-old boy, and Romelus' 3-year-old daughter Amari Chappell, succumbed to their injuries, according to details by KHOU 11. An 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl survived and are currently stable, receiving medical care at a Houston-area hospital.
Sheriff Bo Stallman described the situation as "unimaginable tragedy" in a news conference. “This tragedy has shaken our community, and we are all feeling the loss," said Stallman, as noted by KHOU 11. The sheriff highlighted the deputies' quick actions at the scene possibly made a difference in the outcome for the surviving children. The shooting is presumed to have occurred in Romelus' vehicle, though the exact location of the incident remains unclear given the ongoing investigation.
Witness reports from neighbors in the Porter area, where Romelus recently resided, portray a semblance of normalcy leading up to the incident. A neighbor, who chose to remain anonymous, recalled the Romelus children walking by and interacting in a typical, cheerful manner. "They looked like just happy kiddos. Nothing out of the ordinary at all," she told KHOU 11.
Meanwhile, the children's grandfather, James Chappell, is grappling with the unimaginable pain. “I started crying immediately. That’s my grandbaby,” Chappell expressed in a heartfelt manner during an interview with KPRC 2. Chappell, who resides in Georgia, further mentioned his son, the children's father, is currently incarcerated. In an effort to comprehend the incomprehensible, the community, family, and investigators continue searching for answers. Romelus is currently being held in Brazoria County Jail with her bond set at $14 million.
