A woman living in federally subsidized housing in Fort Worth has been fighting eviction after a fatal shooting incident.
Aleah Wallace, a single mother of four, is at risk of losing her home after she fatally shot a teen allegedly attempting to break into her apartment in December.
As previously covered in The Dallas Express, Fort Worth police were called to Wallace’s apartment in the 5200 block of Southcrest Court twice in the early hours of December 14. The first time, they were responding to reports of a break-in attempt, and the second time, they found the body of a 14-year-old.
Wallace had shot Devin Baker, an eighth grader at Rosemont Middle School described as “troubled” but “bright” by his mentor. Explaining that she had already been the target of several break-ins since October, Wallace told Fox 4 KDFW that she was trying to protect her children when she shot an alleged intruder through the window.
“At that point, I had to think about my babies,” Wallace said. “I didn’t know that he was 14 when he was on the other side of that window. All I knew was that somebody could come in here and hurt me or my kids.”
While a grand jury has yet to weigh in on whether Wallace will face criminal charges for her actions, the managers of her apartment complex have issued an eviction notice due to weapons not being permitted on the premises.
Although Wallace doesn’t live in her jurisdiction, Texas Rep. Carrie Isaac (R-Dripping Springs) has decided to support her against eviction or, at the very least, help her find new accommodations.
“It made me very angry,” Isaac recalled after hearing Wallace’s story, according to Fox 4. “No one should be denied their Second Amendment right just because they live in public housing. It’s unconstitutional.”
Isaac has contacted the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and the Texas Attorney General’s Office regarding the eviction and is awaiting their response. She has also spoken with other Texas lawmakers who support Wallace in this issue.
“And if we need to strengthen our Second Amendment laws, specifically regarding public housing, we will do that. I don’t believe we have to. I believe this is unconstitutional,” she added.
In Illinois in 2018, an anonymous plaintiff filed suit against the local housing authority for a gun ban on tenants living in a public housing facility. A federal court ruled in favor of the plaintiff on the grounds of the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.