HOUSTON — The man arrested after his sister was shot to death in Kingwood has been charged with murder and aggravated assault of a public servant, according to the Houston Police Department.
Homicide detectives say Byron Keith Hall, 29, killed Taylor Ben, 25, and then opened fire on HPD officers when they pulled up to the home on Babbling Creek Drive on Sunday, May 26.
Officers were responding to two calls about an assault and possible shooting at the home near West Lake Houston Parkway.
HPD Assistant Chief Jessica Anderson said a neighbor told dispatch that a man outside the home, later identified as Hall, told them to call the police.
"It appeared that the suspect was waiting outside in an ambush-style, waiting for the officers to arrive to shoot at them," Anderson said.
As officers took cover behind their patrol vehicles, Hall continued to fire an assault-style rifle at them from the driveway, according to HPD. He struck one HPD vehicle seven times but no officers were hit.
A few minutes later, Hall walked toward the officers with his hands in the air and he was arrested.
When officers went inside the home, they found Ben dead of gunshot wounds. Two juveniles, a 4-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, were found hiding in a closet upstairs.
During his first court appearance Monday night, prosecutors said Hall was already on deferred adjudication for aggravated assault on a public servant.
His bond was set at more than a million dollars.
'Who thinks of a gunshot here in Kingwood?'
Nearby residents said they were surprised and when they first heard a loud noise didn't expect it to be a gunshot.
"Who thinks of a gunshot here in Kingwood?" a neighbor named Gary told us. He didn't want us to use his last name.
He was sitting in his truck getting ready to head out to the grocery store then realized the loud noise he heard was a gunshot.
“It wasn't long after that that three police cruisers pulled up and they jumped out of their vehicles with guns drawn,” Gary said. “The police were yelling at him to, hit, you know, 'Get on the ground,' which he eventually did," Gary said.
Officers believe the suspect may have been experiencing a mental crisis based on what he was saying to them.
“It’s just a sad, sad thing. Their relative's now no longer alive,” Gary said.
Police haven't said how the children were related to Hall and Ben.