A 27-year-old Houston father was arrested and charged with murder after a stray bullet from his gun killed the mother of his children , Jalen Whitlock, 25, at their child's birthday party.
Father, Jalin J. Foreman, 27, arrived at Whitlock's birthday party on September 12 with gifts on hand. The woman's current boyfriend told him he wasn't invited. According to police records, Foreman had already been involved in a custody dispute with Whitlock.
The two began arguing, with Foreman going to his car and grabbing a gun, firing at the house. The woman's boyfriend, who remains unnamed, grabbed his own firearm, and began firing back. In the exchange, Whitlock was hit. Police found her dead when they arrived.
Foreman and Whitlock have two daughters, aged two and six. Houston police said Foreman had allegedly fired shots at the couple in the past and that they had responded to a number of custody calls at the home previously.
The Houston Police Department said the incident happened on Locksley Rd. near Tidwell Drive and Wayside Dr. shortly after 8:30 p.m.
Witnesses said that the children initially came down to receive the gifts the father had brought, but as the mother had banned him, the boyfriend told him he wasn't welcome, triggering the deadly gunfight.
Foreman retrieved his piece from a white Chevrolet Tahoe, yelled, "we’re going to end this now," and fired five shots at the home after he was told to leave. Whitlock reportedly responded by screaming out that she's "not scared" of him and that she "knows where [he] lives," before she was shot.
She was struck trying to get her children away from the door where her boyfriend had appeared with his own gun. Foreman then fled the scene, with the police catching up with him a 'short hunt' later and arresting him.
The woman's family is now mourning her and posting about the importance of getting 'justice' for Jaleh, as she now leaves behind two children, who are now seemingly being cared for by their grandmother, according to a GoFundMe started by a cousin.
"Our lives were shattered when Jalen, a loving mother of two young daughters, was tragically taken from us. Jalen's world revolved around her children, ages six and four, and she dedicated her life to providing them with a bright future," her cousin wrote on the crowdfunding site.
"Jalen was the most caring and compassionate person you could ever know. Her sudden loss has left her mother, Tamara, devastated and facing the immense challenge of raising both girls alone."
Her grandmother posted on Facebook: "My 1st grandchild was senselessly murdered yesterday... I knew she would be the sweet, smart, spoiled and gorgeous girl that she was from the second she graced us with her beautiful presence! Gone much too soon."
Her mother added: "I just want to laugh with her again y'all. I'd give up ANYTHING Anything for this again. He took my baby. He took her from me."
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