Pleasanton's Hart MS Deals with Death of Ainsley Freeman

canceled STAR testing today, worried that students would be too distraught over the death of 13-year-old Ainsley Freeman to concentrate.

around 6 p.m. Monday along with her mother, Amy Freeman Burton, 37. aren't saying anything yet about the circumstances of the shooting, including whether it was a murder-suicide or a double slaying. Burton's husband, Christopher Burton, is not a suspect but is a person of interest, police said.

Freeman Burton died at the scene and her daughter died later at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley.

According to the reports, Ainsley was a standout student with high grades, despite the fact that her family had just moved to Pleasanton from the St. Louis area in December. One teacher said she was asked within weeks to be a teaching assistant. The girl, according to reports, adjusted well to her new school and had a lot of friends.

Pleasanton Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi said that instead of the STAR testing, students would go to their regular first period classes today, where teachers and counselors were on hand to help them process the terrible news.

"The best thing the teachers can do is listen to the kids and let them know it's normal to be anxious and sad at a time like this," Ahmadi said.

Freeman Burton's mother, Linda Walp told the St. Louis Post Dispatch that her daughter and granddaughter had moved from O'Fallon, Mo., because Burton's husband had a new IT job there and had already relocated there. Neighbors said he worked at , which is headquartered in Pleasanton.

According to the article, Amy Freeman Burton had worked in the St. Louis area as a compliance officer for Edward Jones, A.G. Edwards and Commerce Bank. She started a new job in California in January as a compliance officer for UBS Financial Services Inc., the article said.

"She was just a sweet and happy girl," Walp told the newspaper.

The mother and daughter left on Dec. 24 to start their new life in California, Walp told the newspaper. Christopher Burton, 28, was the girl's stepfather.

Walp last spoke with her daughter Monday, and said she learned about the deaths through a television newscast early Tuesday morning. She told the paper that no one from California had notified her.

Monte Massey, principal at Fort Zumwalt South Middle School, said school records identified her as "Ainsley Freeman," but early reports had it as "Ainsly."

Pleasanton Police said that Christopher Burton was the one who discovered the grisly scene on Monday around 6 p.m. and called 911.

Anyone with information that might assist detectives with their investigation should contact the at (925) 931-5100.

Gun violence in Pleasanton is rare. The last known shooting occurred in but the injuries were minor. There was an attempted shooting during a robbery in 2010 in a Rosewood Drive shopping center, but no one was injured.

We will update this story as we receive new information.

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