Woman's ex-boyfriend kills new boyfriend, then kills himself in Cypress home

CYPRESS, Texas (FOX 26) - Deputies now believe that jealousy is the motive behind a deadly shooting inside a Cypress home overnight.  Two men were killed and a woman wounded in an apparent murder-suicide in Northwest Harris County, according to Harris County deputies.

Deputies say the homeowner's ex boyfriend arrived and began banging on the doors and windows of the home on the 14700 Block of Country Rose Lane around 3 a.m. Monday.

The homeowner was inside with her new boyfriend at the time, and the couple called 911, according to deputies.

Before law enforcement could arrive, the ex--who used to live with the homeowner--used the code on the garage door to open it, walk in and open fire, according to deputies.

"Apparently they had not changed the code on the garage door," said Sgt. Ben Beall with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. "He made entry into the house--located the homeowner's new boyfriend. He is shot and deceased inside the residence. He shot the female homeowner. She is wounded."

Deputies arrived to the bloodied scene, and found the shooter, believed to be in his 40s, had already taken his own life. 

Deputies say the homeowner, also believed to be in her 40s, was shot in the side. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Deputies say the shooter and his victim hadn't dated in two years, but once he found out about her new boyfriend, he made threats of violence to the new couple. The threats became reality Monday morning.

“I think that speaks to the dynamics around family violence, that just because someone leaves doesn’t mean that it’s safe,” said Sonia Corrales, interim president and CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center.

Corrales says threats of violence should always be taken seriously, and in addition to calling law enforcement, people facing a potentially violent ex should do what they can to protect their security.

“This person may have to leave their home temporarily," said Corrales. "Maybe a shelter is an option, so talking about what those options look like, so it could mean that if somebody is staying at their home, that maybe they’re changing their route to work. Maybe they’re changing locks. They’re doing all of those things.”

Corrales says those with concerns about a potentially violent ex should call the Women's Center Hotline at (713) 528-2121.

The names of those killed and injured in the Cypress murder-suicide have not yet been released.

The homeowner's pregnant daughter and her boyfriend were upstairs during the shooting and reportedly hid inside a locked room until the gunfire ended. The daughter was transported to the hospital as a precaution.