Police Had Responded to Three Suicide Attempts at Home of Texas Mother Who Killed Her Daughters

Authorities were called to the Texas home of Christy Sheats three times regarding suicide attempts over the last several years, Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls tells PEOPLE.

Nehls would not specify whether or not the attempted suicide calls were in reference to Sheats, the 42-year-old mother who fatally shot her daughters last Friday. Sheats was shot dead by police after refusing to surrender her weapon, police said.

According to a press release, the sheriff's office has responded to 14 calls for service at the Katy area home since January of 2012, though some of those calls had to do with the home's alarm system.

The press release says Sheats "convened a family meeting" in her living room, where she fired on her two daughters, Taylor, 22, and Madison, 17.

According to the release, Taylor, Madison, and their father and Christy's husband, Jason, ran out of the house through the front door. Jason ran to the end of the cul-de-sac, but Madison collapsed and died, the release states.

Christy followed Taylor into the street and shot her again. Police said Sheats went back into the home and reloaded her gun before coming out to shoot Taylor again.

                                                                                                                  

Sheats had a history of mental illness, authorities have said.

According to one witness who spoke with PEOPLE, Sheats "looked pretty calm-looking" during the shooting and had "no expression" – just a "blank face."

The witness adds: "She was just walking normally with a gun. There was no expression no hurry or rush, just walking with the gun. No expression on her face, she was just looking straight."

Police said Jason Sheats tried pleading with his wife, begging her not to hurt the girls. "Don't do this," he allegedly said to her. "They're our kids."

Family friend Madison Davey spoke with Jason Sheats after the shooting, she told ABC13. "He told Christy, 'Just shoot yourself. Make it easy on all of us, just shoot yourself,' and she said, 'No, that's not what this is about, this is about punishing you,'" Davey said.