A Haltom City parking lot became the scene of a family tragedy on March 27, 2026, when 6-year-old kindergartener Nathy Mbuyi and her 33-year-old mother, Raissa Thatukila, were fatally shot. Police described the attack as a carefully planned ambush in which Nathy’s father, 30-year-old John Mbuyi, lured them to the Birdville Stadium parking lot under the pretense of giving them money and then opened fire. The shooting followed an ongoing custody dispute between John Mbuyi and Thatukila; investigators say John held significant grievances and was also experiencing distress after his own father’s recent death.

The community responded with a makeshift memorial at the scene and Birdville Independent School District provided crisis counselors for students and staff. No further information will be released to protect the family’s privacy.

If anyone has information about the events leading up to that day, please share what is known.