By Chad Anderson 13

A Saturday shooting in which a Carbondale woman fatally shot her 5-year-old daughter in the head has police puzzled as to why a parent would murder her child.

Apollonia C. Thomas, 30, is charged with first-degree murder after allegedly shooting her daughter, Victoria, and holding off police for about an hour Saturday by threatening to shoot herself. The child was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. Victoria was a kindergarten student at Lakeland School in Carbondale.

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Carbondale Police Chief Don Strom said such cases are emotionally tough on investigating personnel because the reasoning behind the crime is not easy to understand.

As a parent, you just don’t know what would make another parent take their child’s life, he said. When you’re investigating you’re always looking for some explanation for the facts. In this case there doesn’t seem to be any rational explanation.

How do you explain this to other children at school?

At about 12:25 p.m. Saturday, police were contacted by Thomas’ brother from Georgia, who said Thomas called their mother and told her she shot Victoria.

Police and a Jackson County ambulance proceeded to Thomas’ apartment at 3016 W. Sunset Drive and attempted to make contact with Thomas but received no response. After contact was made, Thomas refused to come out of the apartment and appeared at the window with a gun up to her mouth. Thomas appeared at the window a second time holding both the child and the gun.

After about an hour of negotiations, police convinced Thomas to place the gun on a sofa and sit on another sofa in the same room. She was still holding the child when officers entered the apartment with a key obtained from management. Police then took Thomas into custody.

We have conducted an interview, but I don’t think it is appropriate to characterize that interview at this time, Strom said. But we did gain some explanation during that interview.

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Strom said Thomas shot Victoria in the apartment, but neighbors told police they did not hear any gunshots. Thomas used a handgun, Strom said, but he would comment on the type or caliber of weapon.

Police said Thomas described herself as a self-employed dancer in St. Louis. Police were not sure how long she lived at the residence or whether she has a criminal record. Strom said Thomas was single, and he believed the father does not live in the area and had limited, if any, contact with the child.

There will be more investigation to tie up the loose ends, but we were able to complete enough to pursue a criminal charge, Strom said.

Thomas is being held at Jackson County Jail on $1 million bond.