On February 1, 2022, David Weingarten, 29, shot and killed his wife, 26-year-old Lizet Salinas-Mijangos, and their 8-month-old son, George Weingarten, in their Colorado Springs home on Heather Glen Drive. Weingarten called police and claimed that voices in his head told him to commit the killings. A 20-month-old daughter was also present in the home but was unharmed. Weingarten was arrested on scene and charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder. Subsequent legal proceedings were significantly delayed due to three competency evaluations that initially found him incompetent to stand trial; he was later cleared and pleaded not guilty.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The KOAA article describes a "shooting" and victims with "apparent gunshot wounds." The Gazette article states Weingarten "claimed he had shot and killed his wife" and son. The charges include "three violent crime sentence enhancements for allegedly using a violent weapon."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The KOAA article states the victims were "both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds." The Gazette article states David Weingarten "claimed he had shot and killed his wife, Lizet Salinas-Mijangos, 26, and their 8-month-old son, George Weingarten." Shooting is an inflicted injury.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The Gazette article states that David Weingarten "claimed he had shot and killed his wife, Lizet Salinas-Mijangos, 26, and their 8-month-old son, George Weingarten." The use of "their" confirms David Weingarten is the biological father of George. The KOAA article confirms "The suspect, 29-year old David Weingarten, was the husband of Salinas-Mijangos" and describes the 20-month-old daughter as "the daughter of both Salinas-Mijangos and the suspect," further establishing David Weingarten as the biological father.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The KOAA article states "The suspect, 29-year old David Weingarten, was the husband of Salinas-Mijangos and has been arrested and charged with two counts of 1st Degree Murder." The Gazette article adds that he faces eight total charges including "three charges of first-degree murder, three violent crime sentence enhancements for allegedly using a violent weapon and two misdemeanor charges."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
While the text does not explicitly use the term "domestic violence," the Gazette article describes David Weingarten shooting and killing his wife Lizet Salinas-Mijangos alongside their 8-month-old son. The KOAA article confirms Weingarten "was the husband of Salinas-Mijangos." The killing of one's spouse by a husband constitutes intimate partner violence/domestic violence.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The Gazette article extensively references the mental health of the suspect/parent David Weingarten. He "claimed he had shot and killed his wife...and their 8-month-old son...because voices in his head told him to do so." The article further details three competency evaluations that "found him to be incompetent to stand trial," ongoing concerns over his mental health, and the need for a sanity evaluation to determine "if the defendant was insane, or knew right from wrong, at the time of the crime."
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The Gazette article details notable legal proceedings: the case experienced significant delays due to three competency evaluations that all found Weingarten incompetent to stand trial. He was later cleared to stand trial. His attorney stated that while Weingarten did not plead not guilty by reason of insanity, he intended to introduce evidence of Weingarten's mental state, requiring a sanity evaluation. The judge described the possibility of completing the sanity evaluation before December 19 as a "miracle." The prosecution may request a second sanity evaluation, further delaying the case. Additionally, a surviving 20-month-old sibling was present during the shooting but unharmed.
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