A 17-year-old turned himself into the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office after a fatal shooting involving his parents.
Sheriff deputies discovered two gunshot victims after responding to reports of a shooting at a residence in the 9000 block of Waller Road near Conroe at around 9:20 p.m. on February 7.
Leroy Constantine Jr., 41, died at the scene while his wife, Romica Constantine, was transported to a hospital with a bullet perilously close to her spinal cord, according to a GoFundMe campaign for the injured woman. Their son, Tra Vontay Constantine, has been charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The suspect’s sister, Breana Constantine, allegedly witnessed the incident, which was also captured by surveillance cameras.
“My brother is not a bad person,” she said, according to ABC 13. “He has mental health issues. My mom and dad tried everything they possibly could with my brother.”
At a hearing on February 8, it was explained that an argument had broken out between Tra Vontay and his parents after they found a firearm in his possession, according to KHOU. Despite Leroy Constantine having taken away the ammunition, the suspect allegedly had a single bullet stashed in his vehicle.
Tra Vontay allegedly retrieved it, loaded it into his weapon, and fired at Leroy Constantine. The bullet passed through him and hit his wife in the neck.
Leroy Constantine was described as “a great husband, a great father, mentor, coach, peer, and friend,” according to the GoFundMe, which had generated $1,400 of the $10,000 goal as of February 9.
Tra Vontay Constantine, who reportedly spent time in juvenile detention for a previous offense, is being held in Montgomery County jail on a $250,000 bond while the case against him goes to a grand jury.
In Dallas, the murder rate increased by 15% in 2023, surpassing 2022 with 246 homicides, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard. The vast majority of these victims were black and Hispanic males.
Efforts to lower crime have been hindered by a significant staffing shortage within the Dallas Police Department, which fields approximately 3,000 officers. Meanwhile, a City report previously recommended that Dallas required closer to 4,000 to ensure public safety.
City leaders allotted DPD just $654 million this fiscal year, far less will be budgeted for police in Dallas than in other high-crime municipalities, such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
