For reasons that are not at all illuminated here, dad ELLIOT RAGSDALE shot to death his 12-year-old daughter, than offed himself. Mom was at work at the time.
http://www.wapt.com/r/26895323/detail.html
JPD: Dad Shoots Daughter, Turns Gun On Self
Incident Occurred On Scotts Glen Drive
POSTED: 11:06 pm CST February 16, 2011
UPDATED: 10:30 am CST February 17, 2011
JACKSON, Miss. -- Police in Jackson said they investigated an apparent murder-suicide Wednesday night.
The incident occurred on Scotts Glen Drive, off Raymond Road, in Jackson.
Police said they got a call at about 7 p.m. from American Medical Response.
Investigators said when they entered the home, they found Elliot Ragsdale, 29, and Lenore Ragsdale, 12, dead inside a bedroom.
"This was a father and daughter," said Jackson Police Department Assistant Chief Lee Vance. "Apparently the father shot the daughter with a shotgun and then turned the weapon on himself."
Vance said both the father and daughter were pronounced dead at the scene.
He said the father did leave a note behind and had evidently texted friends shortly before the shooting.
Police said an investigation is under way.
WAPT reported that the mother of the child was at work when everything took place.
Lenore Ragsdale was a 7th grader at Peeples Middle School, according to Jackson Public Schools officials. Counseling is being provided for the students, JPS said.