RICHMOND (AP) – A man fatally shot his estranged wife and three other relatives, including his eight-year-old niece, at a home in suburban Houston, United States over the weekend before killing himself, authorities said on Wednesday.
Alrick ‘Shawn’ Barrett, 46, opened fire at the home just before 7am 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 home after getting a call from a 13-year-old boy, Barrett’s nephew, in the home, Fagan said.
The sheriff’s office said that the 13-year-old and Barrett’s 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 unharmed.
In addition to killing his niece and estranged wife, who was 44, Barrett also killed her 43-year-old brother and 46-year-old sister, according to the sheriff’s office. Fagan said he was not immediately releasing the names of those killed.
Fagan said that some of the family members lived in the home and others were visiting.
