A Texas man is charged with murder in the death of his wife, who he allegedly fatally shot in front of their two children, according to authorities.
One of Keith Washington and Tynice Friday’s children called 911 to report that Washington shot their mother to death at a home in Cypress the evening of Friday, April 10, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, KHOU reported.
Deputies found a woman dead inside the home that night, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in an April 10 Facebook post about the shooting.
A complaint viewed by Us Weekly that charges Washington, 44, with murder says he “intentionally and knowingly” caused Friday’s death.
Washington’s court-appointed defense attorney did not immediately return a request for comment from Us on Tuesday, April 14.
Washington and Friday were estranged, law enforcement said, according to KHOU. Friday was said to have recently filed for a divorce from Washington.
They had two children, a 6-year-old and 18-year-old, who had no choice but to witness the deadly shooting and were interviewed by authorities following the gunfire, according to authorities, KTRK-TV reported.
Family members who spoke with investigators said that Friday had been afraid of Washington, the sheriff’s office said, according to the TV station.
The night of the shooting, Washington allegedly opened fire from his truck when he was outside of the Cypress home, while Friday had been inside, authorities said, the TV station reported. He was then accused of forcefully entering the home and shooting Friday to death.
Washington fled afterward, resulting in an hours long standoff with a SWAT team, according to authorities, KTRK-TV reported.
Washington was pursued to a dead-end road, where he allegedly would not follow deputies’ commands and had been shooting rounds from his truck, authorities said, according to the TV station. Then the SWAT team arrived.
Washington ended up surrendering and was arrested, KHOU reported.
“I’d like to ask that you keep the family in your prayers,” Harris County Sheriff’s Office Major Cedrick Collier told news outlets, including KPRC 2. “Those kids, they witnessed a tragedy that they will never forget. To witness not only losing their mother, but their father as well … it’s pretty heart-wrenching that they have to go through that at that age.”
“Domestic violence is real,” Collier added. “Be safe. Know your partner, know your spouse. Get help. Seek counseling.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
