THE McKinney Police Department in Texas has issued an Amber Alert for two children.

Law enforcement believes that Jennifer Burns, 6, and Jessica Burns, 9, are "in grave or immediate danger," per KBTX. On Thursday, both girls were reported missing.

Officials described the car involved in the alert as a black SUV with a white scrape on the front, silver door handles, and a black inside despite the lack of details.

Jessica is 90 pounds, 4 feet 10 inches tall, and has blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore blue trousers, a red long-sleeved shirt with black shoulders, and dark-framed glasses when she was last seen.

Jennifer has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a 60-pound weight. She is 4 feet tall. She was last saw sporting blue trousers, a light blue top with glitter motifs, and purple-framed glasses.

Jame Burns, a 60-year-old woman, was named as the suspect on the alert, according to WFAA, who was last seen wearing purple-frame glasses, a light blue shirt with a sparkle design on the front, and blue jeans.

Anyone with information about their disappearance is encouraged to call the McKinney Police Department in Texas at 972-547-2700.

Follow our Jennifer and Jessica Burns missing blog for news and updates...

• Grandmother not supposed to be present at CPS meeting

  According to McKinney police, Jennifer and Jessica's paternal grandmother Jame Burns was not supposed to be at the visitation with the girls' non-custodial father under the supervision of CPS, per a press briefing.

  Jame is 60 years old and has a criminal record. She was indicted for child criminal negligence and possession of a controlled substance in 2021 in Allen.

  The charges for these crimes are still pending.

  

• 'We are asking for the public's help'

  "Our main goal right now is to find these little girls," said the police.

  "To that end, we have an Amber Alert in effect for nine-year-old Jessica Burns and her sister six-year-old Jennifer."

  They also added that there is very limited information at this time about Jame Burns, the girls' paternal grandmother, and her whereabouts.

• Father Justin Burns taken into custody

  The girls were last seen on Thursday just before 6pm at a pizza joint in McKinney close to Central Expressway and Virginia Parkway where they were visiting their non-custodial father under the supervision of CPS, who was also caring for the sisters temporarily.

  Police stated that the CPS employee dialed 911, but no other information on the circumstances of the call was provided.

  When police arrived on the scene, Justin Burns, the girls' father, was reportedly present at the eatery.

  Police suspect that he was complicit in the grandmother kidnapping the girls, therefore he was arrested and charged with two charges of abduction, according to Fox4News.

• 10 of Texas' oldest unsolved missing children cases, continued

  The list of the 10 oldest unsolved children cases continues:

  • Melissa Suzanne Highsmith
    • Missing since August 23, 1971
  • Norman Prater
    • Missing since January 14, 1973
  • Joyce Brewer
    • Missing since September 6, 1960

• 10 of Texas' oldest unsolved missing children cases

  Among the earliest unexplained disappearances are these 10 kids, who were from Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Dallas, and Arlington. Each of them disappeared more than 20 years ago.

  Here's the first half of the list Star-Telegram shared:

  • Margarette "Ann" Cuauhtli
    • Missing since October 11, 2001
  • Tasha Wright
    • Missing since October 14, 1989
  • Emmanuel Birts
    • Missing since September 14, 1989
  • Amber Nichole Crum
    • Missing since December 26, 1983
  • Mary Trilica, Lisa Wilson, and Julie Mosley
    • Missing since December 23, 1974

• Over 350 children from Texas considered missing

  The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimates that over 350 Texas children are missing, with kidnappings and disappearances dating back to the 1950s.

  Call 911 or the 24-hour tip line at 800-843-5678 if you have any information regarding any of these cases.

  At missingkids.org, you can also report possible abuse and other details.

• The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, explained

  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides support in finding missing children and works to prevent child victimization by educating people about the issues of child abduction, sexual exploitation, and molestation.

  The NCMEC released the Amber Alert information for Jessica and Jennifer Burns.

• Jennifer and Jessica believed to be in 'immediate danger'

  The FBI and McKinney police have reason to believe that Jennifer and Jessica are in "grave or immediate danger."

  They request that anyone with knowledge of their kidnapping or present whereabouts call 911.

• Jame Burns relation to Jennifer and Jessica confirmed

  In connection with the girls' abduction, law enforcement officials said they suspect the girls were taken and are hunting for their 60-year-old grandmother, Jame Burns, according to CBS.

  With blonde hair and brown eyes, Jame is described as being 5'2" tall and weighing around 230lbs.

  She was last observed in McKinney sporting blue pants, a red long-sleeve shirt, and dark-framed glasses.

  Burns is believed to be operating a black SUV with silver door handles with a scratch on the front and a black inside.

• Girls were having a visit with father

  Jessica Burns, age nine, and Jennifer Burns, age six, were both last seen on Thursday evening just before 6pm at a restaurant close to Central Expressway and Virginia Parkway.

  Police are looking for them both.

  They were sharing a supervised visit with CPS officers and their father, who had temporary custody of the girls.

• The 10 states with the most missing persons in 2022

  With 3,010 missing persons, California has the most in terms of numbers. However, with 7.6 missing people for every 100,000 people, California’s rate of missing people is around average, the World Population Review found.

  Alaska, a state with a small population, has the greatest rate of missing people by far—163 per 100,000 people—far more than any other state.

  Massachusetts has the lowest rate of missing people—2.3 per 100,000 people—while Rhode Island, a small state, has the lowest absolute number of missing people—29.

  Here are the 10 states with the most missing persons:

  1. California – 2,133
  2. Florida – 1,252
  3. Texas – 1,246
  4. Arizona – 915
  5. Washington – 643
  6. New York – 606
  7. Michigan – 556
  8. Oregon – 432
  9. Pennsylvania – 401
  10. Tennessee – 361

• 27 kids went missing in Texas in November

  In the month of November 2022, 27 children went missing in Texas, according to KFYO.com.

  The National Center for Lost and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provides round-the-clock assistance to parents nationwide who have missing children.

  In addition to missing posters that include comprehensive photographs and information, the NCMEC also maintains a 24-hour hotline that can be utilized to report sightings of missing children.

  Just in time for the December holidays, these children can be located and returned to their families with the support of the Texas community.

• Texas alert programs

  An Amber alert was sent to Texas residents for Athena Strand on Thursday.

  In addition to Amber alerts, Texas has five alert programs and one in development including the following,

  • Active Shooter Alert (in development): alerts the public of active shooters
  • Blue Alert: threats to law enforcement
  • Silver Alert: missing adults
  • CLEAR Alert: stands for Coordinated Law Enforcement Adult Rescue alerts law enforcement of missing adults in immediate danger
  • Camo Alert: a missing adult who is a current or former member of the armed forces
  • Endangered Missing Person Alert: alerts the public when someone with an intellectual disability has gone missing

  Information on Texas alert programs can be found on the official website of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

• Amber Alert is used widely around the world

  The system is used in Canada and in about 20 European nations.

  Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are among the countries that use the system.

• Getting Amber Alerts on your phone

  On your smartphone, select "settings" and then "notifications."

  You'll see alternatives under "government alerts" if you scroll to the bottom of the screen.

  Along with emergency alerts and public safety alerts, options will include amber alerts.

• Who the Amber Alert is named after, continued

  Hagerman's mother Donna Williams told Yahoo! News in 2016: “It’s a shame my daughter had to be butchered and had to go through what she went through for us to have the Amber Alert, but I know she would be proud of it."

  Detective Ben Lopez of the Arlington Police Department told NBC News in 2016 that "it's been extremely frustrating for it to go on this long and not have it solved.

  “We have other cold cases and they’re all frustrating, we want to solve them all, but 20 years is a long time.

  "It’s frustrating not to be able to give the mom and the family an answer.”

  Authorities have received thousands of tips over the last 24 years.

• Who the Amber Alert is named after

  Named in honor of Amber Hagerman, Amber stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.

  Hagerman was abducted and killed in Texas on January 13, 1996, when she was just nine years old.

  Amber was kidnapped while biking through Arlington.

  The Peacock documentary Amber: The Child Behind the Alert, which debuted on January 17, 2023, centers on the unsolved murder of the little girl.

• When Amber Alerts should be issued

  Local authorities issue Amber Alerts when investigators believe:

  • An abduction of a child under the age of 18 has transpired
  • The child is in danger of serious bodily harm and or death, either due to the actions of another or due to a proven mental or physical condition
  • The missing child reports meet the Reasonable Cause to Believe criteria via eyewitness accounts and by elimination of other possibilities

• More to know about the Amber Alert

  The child must also be in “imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death,” according to authorities.

  For the alert to be effective, sufficient detailed details on the youngster must be made available to the general public.

  The missing child must be under the age of 17 years old.

• Amber Alert, explained

  A message from an alert system known as an "Amber Alert" requests assistance from the public in locating missing children.

  When local police and Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters joined together to create an early warning system, it was put into operation in 1996.

  There are rules for Amber Alerts, one of which is that law enforcement must have a "reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred."

• Vehicle involved in alert

  The car involved in the alert had few specifics, according to authorities.

  Police said that it was a black SUV with a white scratch on the front, silver door handles, and a black inside, per WFAA.

• Police department ask the public for help

  Anyone with information about the Amber Alert or Jessica and Jennifer Burns is asked to call McKinney police at 972-547-2700.

• Suspect named in alert

  Jame Burns, a 60-year-old woman, was named as the suspect on the alert, according to WFAA.

  Jame was last seen wearing purple-frame glasses, a light blue shirt with a sparkle design on the front, and blue jeans.

• Description of Jennifer

  Jennifer has blonde hair, blue eyes, and is 60 pounds. She is 4 feet tall.

  She was last saw sporting blue trousers, a light blue top with glitter motifs, and purple-framed glasses.

  

• Description of Jessica

  Jessica is 90 pounds, 4 feet 10 inches tall, and has blonde hair and blue eyes.

  She wore blue trousers, a red long-sleeved shirt with black shoulders, and dark-framed glasses when she was last seen.