Houston man charged with murdering wife after 911 operator recalled hearing gunshot during her call

A male suspect in Texas fatally shot his wife as she was on the phone with emergency services while their 3-year-old child was in the home, police said.

The Houston Police Department said James Paul Anderson, 37, was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a woman at 4311 Vista Ridge Drive in Humble at approximately 4:55 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24. The female victim reportedly called 911 during the incident.

"Officers were dispatched to a shooting call at the residence at the above address and were advised a female inside the home called 911 stating her husband was threatening to shoot her. The call-taker reported hearing a gunshot while on the phone with the woman," said HPD Homicide Division Detectives L. Brooks and C. Davidson.

The statement continued, "Officers arrived and asked for the husband to step outside the house. He refused to do so, but allowed the couple’s son, 3, to exit the house."

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The Houston Police Department’s Hostage Negotiation and SWAT teams responded to the home and the suspect surrendered after several hours of negotiations.

Once the officers made entry into the home, they found the suspect’s wife, 34, unresponsive with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

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The identity of the victim is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

The child was taken to an area hospital.

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Online records show that Anderson was booked into the Harris County Jail on $300,000 bond, with his next court date scheduled for Dec. 13.