North Dakota mom charged in deadly attack on children

A North Dakota mom charged in deadly attack on children has been accused of a violent rampage that left two of her young kids dead and a third seriously hurt in Mandan on Thursday. Police say Kailey Erhart, 22, went through a manic episode before the attack, which also involved a gun, a struggle with her estranged husband and a terrifying scene inside the family home.

Authorities say Erhart stabbed her 5-month-old and 3-year-old children to death after first waving a gun at her husband and threatening to kill herself. A 1-year-old child survived, though police said the baby suffered serious injuries and later underwent surgery. Mandan Police Chief Jason Ziegler described the scene as one no officer should have to witness and said first responders were deeply affected by what they found. He called the case “extreme, tragic and heartbreaking” for the children, their families, the community and the responders who arrived.

Police said the children’s father was home with them when officers were alerted that Erhart was threatening suicide. According to the account given by investigators, the father had been planning to divorce her. Earlier that evening, Erhart allegedly threatened him with a gun, but he managed to take it away during a physical struggle. During that confrontation, police say, she bit and scratched him. The children’s grandmother was also at the home and told police that Erhart chased her and the father out of the house before the killings.