Texas – In a harrowing incident in Texas, a 32-year-old man, identified as W. Simpson, is behind bars after police say he carried out a targeted shooting against his former girlfriend’s four children, striking two of them in the abdomen. Prosecutors charged him with three counts of aggravated assault of a family member, burglary with intent to commit murder, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Court documents allege that Simpson arrived at his ex-girlfriend’s apartment complex, threatened to kill all four of her children, and then opened fire when two of them tried to flee. The criminal complaint details a chilling series of events that began as a dispute over access to the apartment where Simpson once lived with the woman and her children.
On the evening of July 27, Simpson appeared outside the apartment complex and encountered the woman’s 16- and 19-year-old sons. When told their mother was not home, he called her directly. During that call, Simpson warned her that if she did not return immediately, he would shoot her children. The threat quickly turned to action. According to investigators, after hanging up, Simpson ordered the boys to go back inside or face being shot. As they ran, he allegedly fired at them. The 19-year-old was struck in the abdomen, only realizing he had been hit after making it inside. Both brothers then sprinted through the unit, climbed over a second-story balcony, and leapt to the ground in a desperate escape attempt.
But the boys were not alone in the apartment that day. The woman’s 13-year-old daughter had just come back from the pool with her 12-year-old sister and some friends. The girls saw their brothers leaving as they went inside to change. Moments later, the younger girl heard gunshots, while the older sister walked toward the sound. The 13-year-old told police she was confronted by Simpson inside the apartment. She saw the firearm in his hand as he pointed it toward her. She ran into a closet and buried herself under a pile of clothes. Simpson looked inside but did not spot her.
While she remained hidden, she heard more gunfire. Officers responding to emergency calls entered the apartment and discovered the 12-year-old girl in the bathroom, suffering from a gunshot wound to her abdomen. Both the 12-year-old girl and her 19-year-old brother were rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Doctors removed the boy’s spleen to save his life. Fortunately, both victims were expected to survive. By the time their mother returned, the apartment had been transformed into a crime scene. She told investigators that Simpson had sent her numerous text messages earlier in the day asking to come back to the apartment. She had refused, prompting him to repeatedly call. She recounted how he “demanded” that she return “or else he would kill her kids.” Shortly after their final call ended, she phoned one of her sons and could hear him running away in panic.
Police launched a search, and Simpson was arrested later that day. He was booked into the county jail. During his court appearance on Monday, his bond was set at $1,465,000. If convicted on the charges, including burglary with intent to commit murder, Simpson could face decades behind bars. For the victims and their mother, the arrest marks a step toward justice after a night when a family home became a place of terror—and survival hinged on seconds.
