The man first claimed that the gun was fired accidentally. He later said that it happened when they got into a fight and she shot herself.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 1, 2021. It has since been updated.
Trigger warning: This story contains details of the murder and gun violence that may be disturbing to some readers.
A Texas man claimed that his common-law wife killed herself while they were fighting, but a statement made by their three-year-old daughter—who was present in the room at the time of the crime—told the cops that "Daddy shot mommy", thus exposing the alleged murderer.
24-year-old Kimberly Hernandez was reportedly shot to death by her 27-year-old husband Dabreon Banks on the night of November 22, 2021, inside their shared Houston apartment, located in the 6200 block of East Sam Houston Parkway.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office mentioned that the couple had two children, and both their kids—their daughter and 20-month-old son—were inside the home at the time of the incident. The deputies reached the crime scene around 11 pm to find Hernandez dead with an apparent gunshot wound.
During the initial questioning, Banks claimed he and Hernandez were just “play fighting” and the gun went off accidentally. But later, he revoked his statement by saying that she shot herself in the head during a physical argument over some text messages on his phone.
Dabreon Banks, who first claimed that his common-law wife shot and killed herself during an argument, is now facing a murder charge, accused of opening fire on her with their two small children close by. https://t.co/A6xyN2aVTB
— Mycah Hatfield (@MycahABC13) November 23, 2021
While taking statements from the neighbors, they told the officials that they heard Banks screaming that his wife shot herself, right after they heard the gunshots coming from their house.
“Officers spoke with a juvenile eyewitness who told officers that, ‘Dad shot mom.’ She gestured with her hand as a pistol,” prosecutors said in court on Wednesday. “Officers spoke to another witness who stated that that same child told her, ‘Daddy shot mommy.'”
"She would always laugh, always happy," said Hernandez's dad, while speaking to ABC13, displaying her high school graduation photo on his doorstep. "She was just here on Monday. She was playing with the kids. They called us in the middle of the night to tell us she was dead."
Banks was arrested at their home and he was later charged with murder. He is currently being held on a $75,000 bond, according to New York Post.
Dabreon Banks Wiki - Dabreon Banks Biography
— Wikibioin (@wikibioin) November 24, 2021
Dabreon Banks, the alleged claim by a Texas man that his common-law wife shot herself and killed herself during a domestic argument was apparently undermined by the couple's 3-year-old daughter.https://t.co/jyB1LSwNoh pic.twitter.com/1h1792yEoH
Back in October 2021, deputies reportedly investigated an incident related to domestic violence in the same apartment as theirs. But that case was eventually cleared due to lack of prosecution by the complainant. The officials mentioned that Banks was on deferred adjudication in 2 different countries on two unrelated charges while the shooting incident happened.
"She was having problems with him," said Hernandez's grieving father, recalling the time when his family suggested that his daughter move back to their home with both the grandchildren. "But she would always go back to him."
Luckily, the two children were unharmed in the shooting incident and are currently under the care of the grandparents who are raising them now.
References:
https://nypost.com/2021/11/25/3-year-old-daughter-exposes-mans-claim-wife-killed-herself/
Cover Image Sources: Getty Images | Photo by Monty Rakusen
