A shocking case out of Texas is raising serious questions after a father admitted to shooting and killing his own son — and says he “snapped” in the moment.
Michael Vernie Owens, 78, is now facing a murder charge in the death of his 37-year-old son, Michael Joseph Owens, according to the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened Wednesday evening at a home on 126th Street in Lubbock. Around 7:20 p.m., deputies were called to the scene after a report of gunfire — a call that authorities say came from the father himself.
According to investigators, Owens told dispatchers he had just shot his son.
When deputies arrived, they found the younger Owens suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
But what happened leading up to the shooting is where things take a complicated turn.
Authorities say the father claimed his son had been taking money from his Social Security account for months. He also alleged there had been ongoing threats and even past physical confrontations — though none of those incidents were ever officially reported.
On the day of the shooting, Owens said he had gone to open a new bank account to stop his son from accessing his money. When he returned home, he claims his son confronted him near an RV on the property.
According to court documents, the father said his son told him, “I’m going to kill you,” and then made a move toward him.
That’s when he pulled the trigger.
“I think I snapped,” Owens reportedly told investigators. “I either snapped or had enough.”
He was taken into custody at the scene and is now being held in the Lubbock County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond.