A pro-gun mum who was shot dead by police after killing her two daughters may have let her husband survive so he would live with the anguish of losing his family, police said.
Christy Sheats is also thought to have been angered by the upcoming marriage of her eldest daughter.
The 42-year-old shot dead daughters Taylor, 22, and Madison, 17, after a row inside their home in Houston, Texas.
Sheats called a family meeting on Friday to discipline Taylor, who was due to be married in a few days.
The mother pointed a gun at her husband, Jason Sheats, and then shot each daughter one time in the house, Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said.
She then fired more shots inside as Mr Sheats and their daughters fled.
Christy Sheats was later shot by police as she stood with her five-shot, .38 caliber handgun near her daughters.
Nehls told a news conference: "According to Mr Sheats, she wanted to blame him for what had taken place.
"He did state that she accomplished what she set out to do and that is to make him suffer."
Police released chilling audio of the 911 calls made by the sisters moments before they were shot dead .
Desperately pleading for her life, Madison is heard screaming, "Please don’t shoot the gun", at her gun-totting mum in her final moments.
Scenes of chaos and violence can be heard as dad, Jason, 45, shouts, "I promise you whatever you want I will do", in a plea to avoid the same fate.
He avoided becoming his wife's third victim after a neighbour opened their door, allowing him to run for cover.
Taylor placed the second call, in which she is seemingly unable to speak to the operator, presumably due to shock.
When police arrived, Christy, described as a "fantasist" by family friends, was still holding the .38 caliber handgun as her daughters lay lifeless in the road.
She refused to drop the weapon and was shot dead by a Fulshear officer.
A neighbour's 911 call revealed Jason and Christy were "yelling" and "talking about divorce" before the shootings.
According to reports, the mum-of-two had called a family meeting before opening fire.
In the neighbour's call, he described the horrific moment Christy shot her oldest daughter in the back as she tried to flee.
Christy had tried to shoot her as she lay on the ground, but had to return to the house to reload having run out of bullets, the caller added.
Speaking of the moment Christy stalked and slaughtered her daughter, he said: "She’s coming back again apparently she has bullets now.
"She’s shot her again from the back. She’s trying to run. She shot her in the back."
A friend close to Madison told the Daily Mail the 17-year-old seemed "anxious" and "weird" during a call moments before she was gunned down by her mum.
Madison's friend said: "I called her around 9 or 10 that morning to ask her a favor and I could tell something was wrong with her.
"I could just tell in her voice she was upset about something. I asked her what was going on and she wouldn't tell me.
"She just said that she was arguing with her mom. I found that really weird because she would always tell me what was wrong with her but that day she just didn't tell me."
Three of the 14 calls made to police from the family's home were related to suicide attempts by Christy, according to sources, the Mail reports .
Madison, who suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the neck and chest, and Taylor, who suffered gunshot wounds to the head and torso, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Both Taylor and Madison's bodies will be buried in Alabama.
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