The first Black mayor of a city in Texas was stabbed and her husband killed, allegedly at the hands of their grandson in their home early Monday.
Mitchell Blake Reinacher, 23, was charged with the fatal stabbing of Denton County Commissioner Bobbie J. Mitchell’s husband, Fred Mitchell, after the couple was found wounded around 4 a.m., according to the Denton County Sheriff’s Office.
When officers responded to a report of an assault in Lewisville at about 3:53 a.m., both the Mitchells were suffering from stab wounds.
Following the incident, the 76-year-old former mayor was rushed to the hospital, but her husband, 76, was pronounced dead about an hour after the attack.
Bobbie Mitchell is in stable condition and receiving treatment for her wounds.
The Republican politician’s grandson was found at the scene and was immediately taken into custody before being charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the Denton Record Chronicle reported.
Bobbie J. Mitchell served on the Lewisville City Council before making history in 1993 as the city’s first Black mayor. After stepping down in 2000, she successfully campaigned for county commissioner and has been representing Precinct 3 ever since.
“This news will have a profound impact on our community,” Rachel Roberts, a Lewisville police spokeswoman, told the Dallas Morning News in a statement. “The City of Lewisville stands united in rejecting violence and remains committed to justice, peace, and the safety of all who live and serve here.”
“We are grateful for the quick response from our Police, Fire and the hospital staff who have taken great care of Commissioner Mitchell,” the current Lewisville Mayor, TJ Gilmore, said in a statement.
He added: “If you’ve ever been at an event where Bobbie has prayed over you, please lift her and the family up as she has lifted our community,” the Denton Record Chronicle reported.
Reinacher—identified as one of the Mitchells’ nine grandchildren on her government website — is currently being held at the Lewisville jail.
Deputies were at the scene into late Monday morning, continuing to collect evidence as they investigated the events leading up to the attack, according to the sheriff’s office.
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