Dad harasses mom about child visitation; gun shots in house lead to police standoff (Houston, Texas)

I'm sure the fathers rights folks could cook up some sad sack story to explain away this father's behavior. But it ain't going to win sympathy points with me.

Let's see. You have an "argument" about child visitation with your girlfriend, the mother of your toddler son--a woman with whom you have never made any legal commitment whatsoever--and that explains why you start firing a gun inside her home? Really? Don't think so. This was no "argument." This was a display of brute strength and intimidation. Showing everybody who's boss. Even though this UNNAMED DAD had never taken on any formal responsibility for this family.

Thank God the the girlfriend, her parents, and the child were able to get out of the house safely. Then, of course, we get into the nearly obligatory police standoff for the finale. Lots of Daddy Drama there, right? Then Daddy decides to off himself inside the home. Lovely.

The problem is NOT that this guy didn't have enough visitation. The problem is that an unmarried father like this--a man who was obviously volatile, violent, and unbalanced--got any visitation at all. It's too bad that this poor little child and his family had to be exposed to all of Daddy's traumatizing bullsh**.

Wonder if the family court had a role in setting this up? Wouldn't surprise me.

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Child visitation argument results in Father's Day suicide
The Police News - Houston

June 21, 2010

HOUSTON - A man shot himself to death Sunday night inside his girlfriend's home in southeast Houston.

The man we to the woman's home in the 13700 block of Mum about 6 o'clock Sunday night after having an argument with her earlier in the day. Police say they were arguing ove their toddler son.

When he got to the home, where the woman and son live with her parents, he fired two shots from a pistol into a closet. The family managed to get out of the house leaving the gunman inside alone.

Police sent a SWAT team to the scene about 11 o'clock. When they made entry into the home the found the man dead from a self inflicted gunshot.

An autopsy will be performed.