Christopher Scott Pitre, a 21-year-old young man, lived with his family in Waxahachie, a city in North Texas known for its historic courthouse and quiet residential streets. He was the older brother of 15-year-old Brian Joseph Pitre. The boys' father, Scott Pitre, had a close relationship with his sons and had just celebrated Brian’s fifteenth birthday with him at a lake only days before the tragedy.
The morning of Thursday, October 1, 2026, began with a chilling emergency call from
the family's home in the 900 block of Big Sky Drive. At approximately 4:13 a.m., a 911 dispatcher with the Ellis County Sheriff's Office received a call that was quickly disconnected. The dispatcher managed to get the female caller back on the line, who stated that "all units were needed" but refused to clarify the nature of the emergency before hanging up again. Deputies were immediately dispatched to the suburban residence.
Upon arrival, deputies could hear a woman yelling inside the house. When she appeared at a window, they saw that she had blood on her hands. The officers made a forced entry into the home and encountered the boys' mother, 42-year-old Colleen Nichole Lemmon. A probable cause narrative released later stated that when deputies asked her where the blood came from, she told them something to the effect of, "I shot both my kids."
Inside the home, deputies made a devastating discovery. In one bedroom, they found Christopher Pitre with a gunshot wound to his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. In a separate bedroom, they found his younger brother, Brian, also suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Brian was still alive but in critical condition. He was immediately transported to a local hospital, but tragically, he later died from his injuries. Lemmon was also found at the scene with what authorities described as non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation was led by detectives from the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. Based on corroborating evidence gathered at the scene and her own statement to the responding deputies, investigators identified Colleen Lemmon as the person responsible for the shooting deaths of her two sons. She was taken into custody and first transported to a hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Following her release from medical care, Colleen Nichole Lemmon was booked into the Wayne McCollum Detention Center in Waxahachie. She was charged with two counts of capital murder. Her bond was subsequently set at $2.5 million, and she remained in custody. Scott Pitre, the father of Christopher and Brian, was notified of their deaths. He later told a local news station that he wanted to be the voice for justice for his sons. Funerals for the two brothers were planned for the following week.
In the wake of the tragedy, Ellis County Sheriff Brad Norman released a statement expressing his sorrow for the family's profound loss. "My deepest sympathies go out to the victims' father, family members, and loved ones involved in this tragic incident," Norman said. "They will remain in our prayers during this difficult time." As of October 2026, the investigation into the specific circumstances and motive that led to the fatal shootings was still ongoing, leaving a family and community to grapple with the heartbreaking loss of two young lives.
