In a chilling incident in Texas, a teenager is accused of plotting to shoot his 15-year-old former girlfriend at school, only to later decide against it and instead allegedly murder her mother, 9-year-old brother, and 13-year-old sister at their residence, according to police reports.

Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke described the triple homicide as a “tragic and cowardly act of violence” during a press conference on Wednesday, as reported by local NBC affiliate KWES. He emphasized the profound impact such incidents have on communities, especially during the holiday season, calling it a “hurtful, horrible thing.”

The 15-year-old suspect, whose identity remains confidential due to his age, allegedly entered the home of his ex-girlfriend at 8740 Hunter Miller Way in Odessa this past Tuesday, armed with a handgun. He is accused of fatally shooting Jessica Rodriguez, 39, the mother of his ex-girlfriend, along with her two younger children, before escaping on foot.

The Odessa Police Department stated in a Facebook post that the suspect initially intended to confront his ex-girlfriend at school but changed his plan to target her family instead. All victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

The teenager was captured approximately 40 minutes following the shootings. According to Chief Gerke, the ex-girlfriend was not harmed, although it remains uncertain if she was present during the time of the incident.

“She wasn’t injured,” the chief said.

Police are reportedly still investigating how the teen allegedly obtained a firearm.

“We know what he told us, how he got the gun, but we don’t necessarily believe everything that he tells us about that,” Gerke said.

The children’s father, Roy Martinez, has launched a GoFundMe that says his heart is “extremely broken” about what transpired on Tuesday.

“It will never be complete anymore,” he said.

The teen suspect has been charged with three counts of capital murder of multiple persons and is being held at the Ector County Youth Center.