A Texas father died by suicide after fatally shooting his infant son's grandmother and injuring the baby during a visit to deliver diapers, Houston police reported.
Rodney Bob, 52, arrived at an apartment complex Saturday evening, November 3, 2026, around 7:35 p.m. An argument ensued with the 19-year-old mother of his eight-month-old son. According to KHOU, Bob then produced a firearm and shot the child's grandmother, 37-year-old Karie Rae Thomas, in the back.
Bob proceeded to shoot the infant in the abdomen before fatally shooting himself, the report stated. The baby was in critical but stable condition as of Monday. The baby's mother was unharmed and removed the child from the apartment complex.
Police officers performed CPR on Thomas after responding to the scene. She was transported to a local hospital by the Houston Fire Department, where she was pronounced dead. Bob was deceased when officers located him.
The Harris County medical examiner's office identified Bob, while Thomas's identity was confirmed by grieving family members. Bob's daughter told KHOU that her father had struggled with mental health issues, but stated it was not an excuse for his actions. "I wish we weren't having to grieve two family members under these circumstances," she said.
Neighbors reported hearing gunshots. Prudence Holt, who lives two floors below the incident, described the neighborhood as typically quiet. "It's scary right now," Holt told KTRK. "But he's gone, so everybody's fine."
Another neighbor, Patrick Francis, expressed concern for the baby's mother, stating, "I don't know how she's going to live with that. That's devastating."
The motive for the argument and subsequent violence remains under investigation by the Houston Police Department. The department had no further updates as of Tuesday afternoon. Inquiries regarding the victims' identities were referred to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 in the U.S. Confidential support is available 24/7, and an online chat is also accessible at 988lifeline.org.