Italy residents come together after 3 murders last week

ITALY – The people of Italy, Texas came together this week after the horrific stabbing of five children, which left three dead and two in critical condition.

Residents were outraged when reporters from local media came to the school line where parents were picking up children at Stafford Elementary, also the school where the deceased children attended and near the house where the incident occurred.

“I don’t understand [is] why you think it’s necessary to bombard a small town the weekday following such a tragic event, you were trying to get responses Monday morning in the pick-up line.

“I’m not the spokesperson for all the citizens, but would you please allow people time to grieve,” said one grieving resident on the city’s local social media account.

A local gathering place for funds was established at the Central Baptist Italy Church to pay for the funeral arrangements for the children. Donations were being delivered to the church office.

The mother of the five children, Shamaiya Deyonshana Hall, age 25, was arrested by the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office for the murders, and later transported to the Wayne McCollum Detention Center where she has been charged with three counts of capital murder.

A statement from the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department reported on Friday, March 3, Texas Child Protective Services arrived at the home where the incident occurred in the 300 block of Harris Street to conduct a home visit.

During that visit, the CPS Investigator made the decision to remove the children from the home.

The caseworker called the Ellis County Sheriff 911 dispatch at approximately 4 p.m.

Italy Police were dispatched to the residence and arrived at approximately 4:05 p.m., and discovered five critically injured children inside the residence.

Three children, a six-year-old boy and a five-year-old boy and girl who were twins, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two children also in the house, a four-year-old boy and 13-month-old girl, were seriously wounded.

One of the injured children was transported to Cooks Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, the other was transported to Children’s Hospital Dallas.

A bond was set for Hall at $2,000,000 on each charge.

This is an ongoing investigation, and the Sheriff’s Department said there is no further information at this time.

“We would like to thank the following for their assistance during this difficult investigation: the Italy Police Department, Milford Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Ellis County Constable Precinct 2, the Ellis County District Attorney’s Office, Italy ISD personnel, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (CPS), American Medical Response ambulance service, and Air Evac.”