HOUSTON, TX – A family dispute turned fatal in Houston on Saturday afternoon when a 27-year-old man was arrested for the shooting deaths of three of his family members in their apartment on Hammerly Boulevard. Bryan J. Fernandez Hernandez, who initially reported the incident as a burglary, has been charged with capital murder.
Local police responded to a distress call at the apartment complex located east of the Sam Houston Tollway. Upon arrival, officers were already in communication with Fernandez Hernandez via a police dispatcher. He was instructed to exit the apartment, where he was promptly detained by officers. Houston Police Assistant Chief Wyatt Martin recounted that the suspect claimed he had encountered burglaries in his apartment and had shot the intruders in response.
However, things took a grim turn when further investigation by the authorities revealed that the reported “burglars” were, in fact, members of Fernandez Hernandez’s own family. Following this revelation, police identified the victims as two women, aged 65 and 43, alongside a 38-year-old man. Court documents later named Karen Herrera and Leonor Hernandez Guerrero among the deceased, with the third victim’s identity still pending confirmation.
The oldest woman was a resident of the apartment, while the other two victims had been staying with her for several days. During his scheduled court appearance, Fernandez Hernandez waived his right to appear in probable cause court, where the matter of his bond was deferred to a trial court judge.
Investigative reports presented in court alleged that Fernandez Hernandez fatally shot his mother, sister, and brother-in-law. This case has since stirred conversations around family violence and gun control in the community.