Who was Nathan Rashad James? Texas man kills girlfriend and mother, says ‘sorry’ before shooting himself dead
DALLAS, TEXAS: A 24-year-old man from Texas, identified as Nathan Rashad James, is believed to have killed his girlfriend and her mother, before taking his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot. The incident reportedly took place on Sunday, February 7, at a far northeast Dallas apartment complex, according to the Dallas Police Department. The police identified the victims as Marietta Matthews, 26, and her 55-year-old mother Tamiko Merriwether.
Per Dallas News reports, the officers responded to a report around 4.30 pm of an active shooter at the apartment in the 9800 block of Summerwood Circle. The reports further state that as the cops approached the building, the alleged suspect fired shots at them, shattering a window of the squad car. The officers later called for a SWAT team and took cover. However, no police officer is said to have been injured in the firing and none of them used their weapons.
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Who was Nathan Rashad James?
Rashad James, 24, reportedly lived with his girlfriend Matthews and her mother Merriwether in the apartment where he was found dead. While not much detail about Rashad James has been made available, Matthews was identified as an alum of the University of Central Missouri. The report further states that they were shot with a semi-automatic gun.
Rashad James reportedly went live on Instagram after shooting his girlfriend and her mother. A portion of the clip shared by the Daily Mail shows him screaming and pacing up and down. He is heard yelling that he was sorry and that “he tried to leave". The Dallas police are investigating the case and reportedly said they had no other information about the incident when approached.
SWAT team made several attempts to enter
After the cops were met with fire, they backed off and immediately called the SWAT team. The SWAT officers reportedly surrounded the apartment and made several attempts to get Rashad James to surrender. They managed to enter the apartment around 7 pm to find three dead bodies.
Eddie Garcia of Dallas Police Department tweeted, "I pray for our victims. I am also inspired by the bravery shown by units yesterday, as they were immediately met with rifle fire (a round lodging in the headrest). An example of the dangers our officers face daily, as they respond to tragedy. Be safe my brothers and sisters."
I pray for our victims. I am also inspired by the bravery shown by units yesterday, as they were immediately met with rifle fire (a round lodging in the headrest). An example of the dangers our officers face daily, as they respond to tragedy. Be safe my brothers and sisters. pic.twitter.com/FRHDCeyvjF
— Eddie Garcia (@DPDChiefGarcia) February 8, 2021
The exact reason behind the two murders and suicide is yet to be determined.
In a similar incident that occurred in Florida on March 30, 2020, a 50-year-old man Kenyatta Bellamy killed his girlfriend and another man after he found them having sex at his home. He was released from Osceola County Jail on March 24 on bond, after serving a year's sentence for a failure-to-appear-charge for a DUI manslaughter case.
Bellamy was arrested and during the questioning, he admitted that he "lost it" when he saw his girlfriend having sex with another man. He reportedly used a hammer and a knife to kill the victims before lighting a fire in the master bedroom and closing the door. The reports revealed that both the victims sustained injuries caused by "weapons".