A tragic incident occurred in San Antonio, Texas, where a mother, Savannah Kriger, shot her 3-year-old son, Kaiden, and then turned the gun on herself just a day before they were due in court for a custody hearing with her ex-husband. The bodies of Kriger and her son were found in a ditch at a park with gunshot wounds to their heads, leading authorities to investigate their final moments before the murder-suicide occurred.
In the hours leading up to the incident, Kriger exhibited erratic behavior, shooting at her old wedding photos, trashing her ex-husband’s home, and sending him threatening FaceTime videos and texts. She stated that he would have nothing by the end of the day, causing concern for his safety and well-being. Kriger’s actions escalated as she drove to her own home and shot at her wedding portraits before picking up Kaiden from daycare.
A chilling 21-second video recovered from Kriger’s phone showed her and Kaiden sitting in the ditch where their bodies were later discovered. In the video, Kriger told her son to say goodbye to his father, apologized for his absence, and then kissed him. She then looked up videos of children’s cartoons on her phone while they were still sitting in the ditch, indicating her intentions. Despite the absence of the fatal shootings in the video, authorities were able to determine Kriger’s clear intentions.
The bodies of Kriger and Kaiden were found 19 hours later after an Amber Alert was issued, leading authorities to discover the tragic murder-suicide. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the cause of death for both individuals. It was also revealed that the custody battle over Kaiden was at the center of the tragedy, as Kriger had filed for divorce and a restraining order against her ex-husband prior to the incident.
The devastating incident serves as a reminder of the importance of mental health awareness and seeking help for those struggling with suicidal thoughts. The National Suicide Prevention hotline is available 24/7 for individuals in crisis. The story of Savannah Kriger and her son, Kaiden, sheds light on the devastating consequences of untreated mental health issues and the impact they can have on families and loved ones.
