Woman Shoots Mother and then Herself Outside Mississippi Hospital

The daughter and mother were each other’s caregivers, and the shooting was a murder-suicide.
Published: October 2, 2024

PICAYUNE, Miss. – A woman shot her mother inside of a car in the parking lot of Highland Community Hospital. After shooting her mother, she called the police, and then turned the gun on herself before officers arrived.

Both died in the murder-suicide despite hospital staff quickly rendering medical aide to both women.

Related Article: ACHCU Releases Suicide Risk Assessment Toolkit for Hospitals

The shooting happened just before 3 p.m. on Thursday near the emergency room drop-off, reports WDAM. No one else was injured.

Local police said the shooter was Helena Malone, 61, and her mother was Helen Plaisance, 79.

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Hospital Shooter Had Cancerous Tumor that ‘Altered her brain’

The Pearl River County coroner said Malone had a brain tumor that “altered her brain,” reports WLOX. She had been undergoing cancer treatment but stopped her treatment in June, according to family members. After that, Malone’s personality changed.

The coroner said the shooter’s cancerous tumor’s progression was the cause of the tragedy. He shared the information about Malone’s condition in order to address inaccurate comments and speculation on social media.

Plaisance also had medical issues that required constant care. Plaisance and Malone were each other’s caregivers.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can text TALK to 741741 or initiate an online chat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/. You can also call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Additional resources can also be found at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.

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