Child Pretends To Sleep Next To Mother Who Was Shot Dead By Wife

A woman was found lying dead on a couch with multiple gunshot wounds inside a Houston apartment Saturday morning. Police said they also found the victim’s daughter pretending to sleep next to her mother at the scene.

Brittany Brown, 34, was charged after allegedly shooting her wife, identified as Erika Hall, aged 30. The incident occurred around 4:15 a.m. in the Sunnyside area. Authorities were called to the apartment for a reported shooting and arrived to find Hall’s body.

Cops noted that Hall’s daughter, believed to be 12 years old, was “fake sleeping” next to her mother, according to KPRC.

Brown told cops that she shot her wife using a gun that she keeps in her right pant pocket. The prosecutor said a witness recalled seeing Brown run out and say: “I shot her. I shot her.”

The alleged shooter is facing murder charges with a $200,000 bond and made her first court appearance Monday.

"I have concerns for the safety of (Hall's) family and the community," explained the hearing officer during Monday’s court session, ABC13 Houston reported. "The 12-year-old child (the daughter) came out and discovered that her mother had been shot and she sat there with her mother until police arrived."

Deputies were told by witnesses that the women were having a heated argument in the leadup to Hall’s death. Although Brown claimed she shot her wife because Hall was armed with a knife, investigators found no evidence to support this. Authorities also noted that Brown changed her story about the knife several times during the investigation.

"While interviewing (Brown), she changed her story about the knife multiple times. The officer noted no knife was found on, or near (Hall's) body while processing the scene," the prosecutor read from court documents.

A GoFundMe page was set up to raise funds for Hall’s funeral. “I'm asking for the community and my friends to help me raise money to help my friend that just lost her daughter to domestic violence,” read the fundraiser. The page's goal for donations is currently set to $3,000.