Gunman shoots ex-wife 4 times on day of court appearance for child custody battle, deputies say

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A man accused of shooting his ex-wife four times Monday morning, the day they were scheduled to appear in court for a child custody hearing, has been arrested.

Harris County sheriff’s deputies were called to a home on Memorial Crossing Drive near Memorial Falls Drive in response to a shooting/home invasion around 3:30 a.m. Monday.

A preliminary investigation revealed that a woman’s ex-husband cut off all power to her home, broke into the back window and shot her four times.

Aaron B. Wright was located and arrested later Monday morning and booked into the Harris County Jail, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. He’s charged with aggravated assault.

The woman is in stable condition, Gonzalez said.

According to Harris County Deputy Investigator John Mook, the couple has been divorced for about a year.

Their four children between the ages of 5 and 12 were home, sleeping in their beds during the shooting, according to Mook. They were all uninjured.

Investigators say Wright may have anticipated losing custody of the kids when the pair was scheduled to appear in court Monday for a child custody hearing.

Wright reportedly used the power box on the side of the home, which was unlocked at the time of the shooting, to cut off the power.

When asked if the ex-husband had made threats before, Mook said he had a history with the woman’s new boyfriend.

“I do understand that he has threatened the new boyfriend multiple times,” Mook said. “I’m sure this was a contentious divorce as well. We’re looking into all of that.”

Surveillance video shows a second suspect with Wright at the scene. Deputies believe the second suspect is his new girlfriend.

It is unclear if she was also arrested when Wright was taken into custody Monday.

The pair reportedly drove to the home in Wright’s work truck, parked down the street and approached on foot. They both fled the scene on foot, according to Mook.

The four children are safe with their grandmother, according to investigators.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family with expenses.