A terrifying attempted carjacking in Texas ended with a father fatally shooting a suspect who allegedly tried to steal his car while his family — including several young children — was still sitting inside.
The frightening ordeal unfolded Sunday afternoon in Garland, Texas, about 18 miles outside downtown Dallas, after a chaotic chain of events that police say began with a multi-vehicle crash.
According to the Garland Police Department, the suspect crashed into two vehicles along Highway 66 around 3:30 p.m. before abandoning the wrecked vehicle and running across the street to a nearby gas station and shopping center.
Police say the suspect then attempted to forcibly steal several vehicles as panic spread through the area.
Surveillance footage obtained by local outlet Fox 4 reportedly showed the suspect approaching a white Chevy Impala parked in the shopping center lot.
Inside the car was a father along with several young children and two adult women.
The suspect allegedly walked straight up to the driver’s side door, prompting the father to quickly jump out of the vehicle to confront him.
Investigators say the suspect then tried to yank the father away from the car, sparking a violent struggle as terrified family members — including a young boy — scrambled out of the vehicle and ran for safety.
During the confrontation, police say the father pulled out a firearm and fired more than 10 rounds at the suspect.
The alleged carjacker was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died from his injuries. Authorities have not yet publicly identified him and only described him as a Hispanic male.
Miraculously, none of the passengers inside the targeted vehicle were injured during the terrifying encounter.
Police said the father remained at the scene after the shooting, fully cooperated with investigators, and handed over his firearm to officers.
Authorities also indicated they do not currently expect to file charges against him.
“That driver was defending himself and was fighting with that suspect,” Garland police Lt. Pedro Barineau told reporters. “The car was occupied by several children as well as two other female adults.”
“We are looking at this as a self-defense case,” he added. “We’re also looking into why this suspect did what he did.”
The dramatic shooting quickly sparked strong reactions online and throughout the community, with many residents defending the father’s actions and saying he did what he had to do to protect his family.
“I have three kids. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to keep them safe,” local resident Taylor Standfield told NBCDFW. “That kind of stuff is split-second.”
“It’s hard to imagine what it’s even like being in that situation with the adrenaline and knowing that you have kids in your vehicle,” he added.
Another witness, Garland Smoke and Vape manager Tatiana Starks, said the suspect appeared deeply disturbed before the shooting occurred.
“You could definitely tell that he was not in his right state of mind,” she told Fox 4.
“I’m just glad that the man was able to protect himself and his family,” she added. “It’s just a blessing that the kids and the family walked away with no injuries.”
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I better not see people saying oh the poor guy, he had a bad upbringing, on drugs, usually a nice friendly guy or any of the other excuses they come up with! He was in an accident, why run, why try to take someone else’s car, why put others in danger? This man did what he had to do to protect his children and family members.