Domestic violence accounts for 18% of Houston homicides, data shows

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — In the last month, there have been at least four deadly cases in Harris County where someone was shot to death after the victim tried to leave an alleged abusive relationship. On Monday, city leaders and domestic violence advocates gathered to share the alarming data and the resources available to help bring those numbers down.

Angela Johnson can relate to the challenges victims face when trying to leave their partner. About 26 years ago, she made the decision herself to step away from what she calls an abusive relationship.

“He pulled a gun on me one night, and then I actually told him that I was going to leave. That’s when he made the comment that if I left, he would burn down the house. I was like, ‘Even with us all in it?’ He said, ‘With the kids and you in it,'” Johnson said.

According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department, the latest four domestic violence-related homicides share similar details. They all involved a woman who was trying to break up with their partner, who had access to a gun in their home.

On Sept. 9, Shantavia Reddick and her dog were shot and killed by Dimitri Humphrey, after she tried to help his girlfriend leave her alleged abusive relationship.

More than two weeks later, on Sept. 24, a woman was allegedly shot and killed by her husband, James Paul Anderson, who was then in a stand-off with HPD before surrendering. Investigators said they were in the middle of a divorce, and she was on the phone with 911 when dispatchers heard a gunshot.

Then, on Sept. 30, family members told ABC13 Ever Navarrete allegedly tracked down the location of his wife, Karly Navarrete Diaz’s new home and shot her to death. She had filed for divorce and moved to a new place that was supposed to be kept a secret from her soon-to-be ex-husband.

The day after, on Oct. 1, Devin Kieth Grantom allegedly shot and killed his wife, Courtney Grantom in front of a home after arguing about a potential divorce. While trying to intervene, Courtney’s father and Devin’s friend fired shots before they were injured by gunshot wounds. Devin’s mother also suffered fatal injuries, but it’s unclear who fired the shots that killed her.

“That time of leaving and really up to a year after can be incredibly dangerous. Most of the homicides that we see throughout the state as well as here (in Houston) are often in the wake of somebody planning and trying to exit a relationship,” Emilee Whitehurst, president and CEO of the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC), said.

HPD Chief Troy Finner said that as of Sept. 30, the number of domestic violence cases in Houston has decreased by 17%. However, domestic violence-related murders still account for 18% of homicides and 9.8 of all reported crimes in the city.

Over the last 12 months, Finner said HPD’s Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) has responded to 1,084 domestic violence scenes and placed 404 adults into shelters.

According to the latest data provided by the Houston Area Women’s Center, 73% of domestic violence deaths in Houston from 2019 to 2022 involved guns. When guns are present in an abusive household, the risk of death increases by five times.

HAWC’s Deputy CEO Sonia Corrales said the organization averages 50,000 calls a year on their hotline, and more than half involve people who say they are in dangerous situations involving guns. More than 50% of their clients identify as Hispanic or Latino, but they emphasize that this is an issue that involves people from all walks of life.

After the righ to carry without a permit went into effect in Texas in September 2021, advocates said they saw the number of domestic violence gun murders increase by more than 60% in the years after.

“Texas has some of the most lax gun laws in the United States, and we are seeing the repercussions of that, whether it’s open carry and the risk that puts to our law enforcement officers in our community or the lack of background checks,” Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin of District C said. “Texas is the Wild Wild West. We aren’t taking the steps necessary to address gun violence in our nation.”

Whitehurst shared that there are warning signs that victims can look for to assess whether they are in a situation that could potentially escalate and turn lethal.

“If you’re in a situation where there is a coercive and controlling dynamic in your relationship. If your ability to drive, have independence and autonomy, or go where you want to go is being curtailed. If your access to financial resources is being compromised. If your partner is leveraging your children against you and certainly if there is a gun in the home, we implore you to reach out for help,” Whitehurst said.

Johnson now works with HAWC and hopes that by sharing her story, she can encourage other survivors to reach out to advocates to come up with a safety plan when choosing to leave. She believes it could be the difference between life and death.

“Do it, (but) not openly, where your spouse or your abuser knows what you’re doing. You could use maybe a friend’s telephone to call the hotline and help them create a safety plan for you. I wouldn’t tell the abuser that I’m leaving, because they could have an adverse response,” Johnson said.

According to Mayor Sylvester Turner, the Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence announced $1.75 million in available funds last month for organizations to apply for to address this issue. He also mentioned a $50,000 grant from Uber to provide rideshare services to victims.

Kamin also noted that the City of Houston has allocated $16 million for HAWC’s new campus, which will provide more beds and resources, and $10 million through One Safe Houston for domestic violence initiatives.

“Our goal is to fund new and existing programs that will intervene in communities of color and with other ethnic groups,” Turner said. “So many women and children must choose between homelessness and violent homes. Those are not acceptable options.”

HAWC is leading a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court that lifted gun restrictions for abused subject to a protective order. The upcoming SCOTUS case, United States v. Rahimi case will determine if current federal law, which prohibits the possession of firearms by persons under certain domestic violence protective orders, violates the Second Amendment.

If you need help getting out of a domestic violence situation, call the Houston Area Women’s Center 24/7 hotline at 713-528-2121 or call AVDA at 713-224-9911. You can also click here to chat with an advocate online. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and need help, call 713-528-3625.