In a tragic incident at a day care in Donna on Wednesday, a female staff member’s quick thinking and adherence to safety protocols may have helped avert a larger tragedy, according to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.

During the chaos, the employee acted promptly, securing all five children under her care as the shooting unfolded. Authorities confirmed that none of the children were harmed when 41-year-old Saul Esquivel violently entered Neni’s Childcare #2 by breaking through a window. His target was his estranged wife, 26-year-old Nubia Bravo, whom he pursued while continuously firing shots.

Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, provided details of the harrowing event. “She managed to get outside, but he followed, caught up to her, and then shot her,” Guerra explained. “Afterward, he lay beside his wife and took his own life. This was a case of domestic violence.”