Man held in shooting of 3 girls, their mom

Mark Babineck
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mon, July 31, 1995

FORT WORTH, Texas - A church handyman who was suspected of sexually molesting a 6-year-old girl allegedly killed the child and her older sister and critically injured their mother and younger sister.

The gunman also wounded a police officer, a security guard and another man during the Sunday morning rampage, police said.

John Wheat, 51, was jailed on two counts of capital murder in the deaths of the children, ages 6 and 8. He also was charged with five counts of attempted capital murder.

The gunman opened fire early Sunday after he found out the children's mother, 28-year-old Angela Anderson, was about to tell authorities he molested her 6-year-old daughter, a neighbor told police.

The neighbor, Michelle Lopez, said Wheat accosted her and Anderson as they were about to report the allegation to police, the Dallas Morning News reported Sunday.

Witnesses said Wheat was armed with two handguns and a rifle or shotgun when he went into the Anderson apartment.

"To the best of my knowledge, the children received gunshot wounds execution-style to the head," police Lt. Eddie Pricer said.

"I hid when I heard the shots," said neighbor Juan Rosales. "Me and my wife hid in the closet until it stopped. Some kids were screaming and yelling."

Anderson and her 20-month-old daughter also were shot in the head. Both were reported in critical condition.

Witnesses said the gunman then turned his attention to others in the complex, allegedly shooting Jesse Cranfield, 33, an off-duty security guard, as he stood in his doorway.


Go Back to Shy David's Clergy Abuse Page.