A man in the US State of Texas fatally shot his estranged wife and three more relatives, including his eight-year-old niece, before claiming his own life at a house in Houston over the weekend, said authorities on Wednesday. The man was identified as the 46-year-old Alrick “Shawn” Barrett, who initiated the shooting after an altercation with his wife.
Barrett opened fire at the home at around 7 am on Saturday after returning his young child from a visit, Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan said at a news conference. Fagan said that after arriving at the home, Barrett told his estranged wife that he wanted to reunite, but she refused. Deputies responded to the incident after receiving a call from Barrett's nephew.
The sheriff's office said that Barrett's 13-year-old nephew and seven-year-old child hid during the shooting and were not harmed. The mother of Barrett's estranged wife was also in the home and was unharmed. However, apart from killing his wife and niece, Barrett also killed her 43-year-old brother and 46-year-old sister.
The names of the deceased have not been immediately disclosed. Fagan said that some of the family members lived in the home and others were visiting. He said that last January, authorities had responded to a disturbance call because of a verbal argument between Barrett and his estranged wife.
Fagan said that they were still looking into Barrett's background but so far hadn't found any further interaction between their office and Barrett. The sheriff's office said that since it remains an ongoing investigation, details about the weapon Barrett used are not available at this time.
(with inputs from AP)
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