Constables: Dad fatally shoots daughter’s boyfriend
HOUSTON — A father who reportedly didn’t approve of his daughter’s boyfriend shot him dead in Humble Thursday night. Investigators say his case will be referred to a grand jury without charges.
Michael Anthony Martinez, 22, drove to his girlfriend’s home around 11:30 pm, investigators said, parking down the street from her house and waiting for her. His 19 year-old girlfriend argued with her parents, who didn’t want her to leave with Martinez, authorities said.
A neighbor said he saw the mother and daughter walking down the street toward Martinez’s car. Investigators said his father suspected Martinez was armed, so he grabbed his own gun before following his wife and daughter.
Witnesses heard two gunshots followed by screams. Investigators said Martinez fired first, then the father fired back and struck him in the chest. The mother was also shot in the hand.
There is nothing good about this story in any way. You have a dead young man, a heartbroken young woman, an injured wife, and someone who has to live with knowing he shot and killed another person.
What we can take away from this though is the importance of situational awareness and good marksmanship.
The father had the good sense to come armed based on what he knew about the boyfriend. He suspected that the boyfriend might have a firearm and might use it against him.
With that knowledge he too came armed to confront his daughter’s boyfriend.
As he approached the car, the boyfriend took out his weapon and got off one shot before the father fired back and hit his target dead in the chest.
One shot was all it took to neutralize the threat.
The boyfriend’s shot, however, did not hit intended target. In fact, the shot hit the mothers hand.
We won’t pretend to understand the circumstances of why there was an issue between the parents and the boyfriend, or why the relationship between the two was so toxic that it resulted in a gunfight.
But for the sake of defensive gun use, the father was spot in both awareness and engagement.
UPDATE: There seems to be conflicting reports about this incident. Another news agency is reporting that the father fired both shots, and was responsible for hitting his wife in the hand. The report also says that the boyfriend only had two BB guns in his car; no actual firearms.
Looks like the police have their work cut out for them in sorting all of this out.
