Mom dead, but 2 missing children found alive after Texas Amber Alert

DALLAS, Texas -- A 7-year-old boy and a 1-year-old boy were found alive Monday morning after their mother was found dead Sunday night, police said. 

An Amber Alert was issued Monday morning, but the boys were later found alive after a tactical team entered an apartment in Dallas around 9:30 a.m., according to ABC affiliate WFAA.

The children were found in good condition, said Sgt. Warren Mitchell. 

Mitchell said police officials couldn't rush to put out an alert until after investigating what happened to the boys and their mother, whose body was found Sunday night. 

"We had to obtain information. We had to confirm information," Mitchell said. "We just don't want to recklessly put out an Amber alert when there's not an actual Amber Alert."

Dallas police said they believed the boys were abducted by 33-year-old Johnnie Ray Palmore, the apparent father of the boys. 

Mitchell said Palmore was taken to a local hospital in critical condition after he suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the incident.

A woman and another child were inside the apartment at the time as well, according to Mitchell.

"We are so grateful that no one else was injured in this incident," he said.

The children's eyes were "wide-open and they were looking around" when they were found, according to Mitchell. Because of their age, he believes the event will be particularly traumatizing to them.

Dallas officers found the boys' mother, 26-year-old Latiffiney Rodger, dead in an apartment during a welfare check, officials said.

Police said the cause of her death was homicidal violence. Mitchell said Palmore is a suspect in her death.

The Amber Alert, which was issued Monday morning, covered Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Police activated the regional Amber Alert after they discovered the children were missing during the investigation, officials said.

"Once we found that information out, then we released [the alert] immediately," Mitchell said. 

Rodger's death marked at least the 21st homicide in Dallas in 2020. 

Anyone with information was asked by authorities to call Dallas police at 214-671-4312.