Estranged husband dies in shootout with wife’s brother while kids are home, TX cops say

A man in the middle of a divorce was killed in a shootout with his wife’s brother, Texas police told news outlets.

The estranged husband, who police have not publicly identified, went to his wife’s apartment on Houston’s north side at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, to retrieve some of his belongings, Houston police told KHOU. His wife and their three kids, ages 6, 9 and 14, were there, as well as his wife’s brother, and the men got into an argument, police said.

“An argument broke out. He (the husband) was upset and yelling about the kids not having their bath yet,” Officer Ronnie Willkens told KPRC.

The argument escalated into a fight, with the husband and brother throwing punches at each other, police told the station. The wife got in between them in an attempt to calm things down, but then both men drew guns and opened fire, police said.

The wife was caught in the crossfire and took a bullet to the leg, and she was taken to a hospital for treatment, police told KRIV. The husband, however, was found dead in a stairway, having been shot multiple times, according to the department.

Police are searching for the brother, who left the scene, the outlet reported. Investigators don’t know if he was also hit in the gunfight. He has not been publicly identified.

This story was originally published September 19, 2024 at 8:12 AM with the headline "Estranged husband dies in shootout with wife’s brother while kids are home, TX cops say."