Police investigate double capital murder-suicide in small, West Texas town

The Brief

  • A shooting in Slaton, Texas, left three dead and two critically injured after a domestic dispute over child visitation escalated Sunday night.
  • George Cantu, 27, killed two relatives and himself after intentionally wounding his ex-wife and another man; police say alcohol was a factor.
  • The two survivors remain in critical condition at University Medical Center, while the Metro Crimes Unit continues to investigate the case.

SLATON, Texas A domestic dispute over marital and child visitation issues escalated into a deadly shooting Sunday night in the High Plains of West Texas, leaving three people dead and two others critically wounded in what police are investigating as a double capital murder-suicide.

Double capital murder-suicide investigation

What we know:

The shooting happened at 10:52 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2026, at a home located at 335 E. Floyd St. in Slaton. Slaton is a city in Lubbock County, situated about 15 miles southeast of Lubbock in the High Plains region of West Texas.

According to a media release from the Slaton Police Department, George Cantu, 27, entered the home armed with a handgun. Investigators said Cantu was upset regarding ongoing issues with his common-law ex-wife, Jasmine Rivas, 24.

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