On the morning of May 5, 2016, Christina Pearl Franklin, a 27-year-old Caucasian female, arrived at the Kids Campus Learning Center in North Las Vegas, Nevada, to drop off her two young children. Moments later, her ex-boyfriend, 40-year-old Travis Lee Spitler, appeared at the scene. He exited his vehicle armed with a firearm and opened fire, tragically ending Christina's life and injuring their 3-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son.
After the attack, Spitler turned the gun on himself, taking his own life in a horrific murder-suicide.
The investigation into the incident revealed a history of domestic violence between Franklin and Spitler. Franklin had previously sought help from law enforcement and had obtained a temporary protective order against him, which also prohibited him from being near the daycare center. Despite this legal measure, Spitler continued to pose a threat. The day before the shooting, Franklin had reported to the North Las Vegas police that Spitler had followed her to the daycare, a direct violation of the protective order. However, she was turned away due to a perceived lack of evidence.
The Clark County Coroner's Office later confirmed that Christina Franklin died from multiple gunshot wounds in what was ruled a homicide. Travis Lee Spitler's death was ruled a suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The two children sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were hospitalized. In the aftermath, it was discovered that Spitler had left a handwritten apology letter to his parents in his apartment. Detectives concluded that a recent court hearing related to domestic battery charges against Spitler likely triggered the violent events of that day.
