Fort Worth Police say Valdosta man shot, killed his own family member in Texas

A man from Valdosta is charged with the murder of his own father, according to ABC affiliate WFAA in Fort Worth, Texas.

Twenty-seven year-old Xavier Bass is accused of shooting and killing 54-year-old Gene Bass in Texas on June 28, 2024.

In a news release, Fort Worth Police said, "officers found a deceased victim in a front yard with gunshot wounds to his upper body. Medical personnel attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene."

Police also said, "suspect drove up to the residence and fired multiple shots at the victim before fleeing the scene in a vehicle."

On June 29, police confirmed the suspect was, "arrested at a residence in Valdosta, Georgia by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office without incident."

WFAA obtained an affidavit which detailed the shooting. In their report, WFAA said,

"several witnesses told investigators that shortly after the victim arrived at his home, a bald, Black male pulled up in a Ford Mustang holding a small, black handgun. The suspect, later identified as Xavier Bass, was throwing the gun up in the air and catching it, the affidavit said. The victim, Gene Bass, approached the suspect and said, 'Boy, stop playing with that gun before you shoot someone,' according to witness testimony included in the affidavit. Shortly after, the suspect began firing, the affidavit stated."

WFAA's reporting also said, "police later spoke with a redacted individual who stated Xavier Bass lived in Georgia. She stated that Xavier Bass told her 'he needed to drive to Texas and that she would find out why when she saw it on the news,' according to the affidavit."

WFAA also said the victim, Gene Bass, was a Master Sergeant who was also a JROTC instructor at North Crowley High School.