HOUSTON, TX – A Houston man faces multiple charges after authorities say he opened fire on his ex-girlfriend’s four teenage children, critically wounding two, following a dispute at an apartment complex.
Police say Willie Simpson III, 32, arrived at the Timber Creek apartment complex on July 27 and encountered the two teenage sons of his former partner outside their unit. According to investigators, after the 16-year-old boy told Simpson their mother was not home, Simpson allegedly contacted his ex-girlfriend by phone and threatened to shoot her children unless she returned immediately.
Shortly after ending the call, Simpson is accused of threatening the teens at gunpoint, warning the 16- and 19-year-old brothers to re-enter the apartment or be shot, police said. As the boys tried to escape, Simpson allegedly fired at them, striking the 19-year-old in the abdomen before both siblings fled through the apartment and jumped from a second-story balcony seeking safety.
Meanwhile, the brothers’ younger sisters, aged 12 and 13, had just come home from swimming with friends when the violence erupted. The 13-year-old later told officers she saw Simpson near the apartment with a firearm visible in his pants pocket and witnessed her brothers running inside. As the sisters entered the home to change clothes, they soon heard gunshots.
Police said the 13-year-old girl attempted to find her siblings during the chaos but ran into Simpson, who allegedly threatened her with the gun. She managed to hide in a closet beneath a pile of clothes, evading detection when Simpson looked inside. While hiding, she reported hearing more gunshots from within the apartment.
Responding officers arriving on scene discovered the 12-year-old girl in the bathroom suffering from a gunshot wound to her abdomen. Authorities confirmed the 19-year-old brother was also wounded, though he did not initially realize he had been shot until sheltering inside the apartment.
Both injured siblings were transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Officials said the boy required surgery to remove his spleen, but is expected to recover. The 12-year-old sister was also listed in stable condition following emergency treatment.
Upon her arrival at the scene, the children’s mother informed police of a prior relationship with Simpson, saying the two had recently separated and that he had sent her numerous text messages insisting on returning to the residence he once shared with the family. She told investigators she refused his request, which led to multiple phone calls from Simpson, one of which included threats to harm her children if she did not return.
The mother further reported that after their tense conversation ended, she called one of her sons and overheard the sound of him frantically running, which raised her concern that something was amiss.
Simpson was apprehended on July 28 and charged with three counts of aggravated assault of a family member, in addition to charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and burglary with intent to commit murder. Authorities reported that during a Monday court appearance, his bond was set at $1,465,000. He remains in custody at the Harris County Jail and is scheduled for another court appearance on Thursday.
Detectives continue to investigate the sequence of events leading up to and during the shooting, as well as reviewing further evidence connected to the case.