‘Will not tolerate violence in our city’: Police arrest man accused of fatally shooting 9-year-old, injuring her mother in Heights area

HOUSTON – The suspect accused of fatally shooting a 9-year-old girl and injuring her mother in the Heights on Monday night has been arrested, according to the Houston Police Department.

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Jeremiah Jones, was arrested Tuesday at 6 p.m. by HPD SWAT and Tactical officers in a parking lot in the 22300 block of Imperial Valley Drive.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting at 404 Oxford Street around 9:54 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, police said they learned there was a domestic disturbance between a man and woman.

Police said the child, who was identified by her mother Brittany Sorrells as Khylie Sorrells, was shot in the head. Brittany was shot in the shoulder, according to HPD. Both victims were taken to the hospital, where police said Khylie was pronounced dead.

What happened?

Sorrells reportedly had not seen Jones in a few weeks and had ended her relationship with the suspect two months ago. Court documents said Sorrells was in bed watching a movie with Khylie and her other children, ages 1 and 7, when Jones showed up at her apartment demanding that she give him a television he thought was his.

He then ripped the T.V. off the wall, court documents note.

Sorrells told investigators Jones then demanded that she give him her phone and accused her of seeing another man. Sorrells said she gave Jones her phone and he walked to the back bedroom. That is when the mother heard two gunshots and saw Jones exit the bedroom.

HPD Lt. Horelica said when Jones went into the bedroom, he intentionally “executed” Sorrells’ 9-year-old daughter.

The other children were not harmed and were placed with family members, investigators said. None of the children belonged to Jones.

“Since that relationship had ended between them, he was upset about it,” Lt. Horelica said.

“I want our citizens to know we cannot and will not tolerate violence in our city, especially involving our young people,” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a statement Tuesday.

Jones’ criminal history

Horelica said Jones was out on bond for evading arrest. He is accused of violating a protective order a different woman filed against him and court documents said, just last week, he threatened to kill Sorrells with a gun. The suspect has an extensive criminal background stemming back to when he was 12 years old, including theft, making terroristic threats, and reckless driving. He is now facing capital murder and assault charges.

Police said Sorrells made four calls to law enforcement about Jones within a month prior to this incident.

Sorrells has given KPRC 2 permission to share a GoFundMe page she created to help pay for funeral expenses.

Domestic Violence Resources

Sorrells did not personally have a protective order out against Jones, but did call HPD three times this month for help: twice for a disturbance and once for a threat Jones allegedly made.

Amy Smith, with the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, said emergency protective orders are an extra form of protection for victims but are just one tool.

“Now they can put conditions on a suspect bond that would be a no-contact,” she said. “There’s a possibility you could get a protective order, however, that is just a piece of paper and that’s not bulletproof. But that is an additional layer of protection.”

Smith said domestic violence survivors are most at risk when they’re planning to leave an abusive relationship.

“One last time they can get control of the person and it’s by either killing them, their loved one or threatening to commit suicide themselves,” Smith added.

Smith and Chau Nguyen, with the Houston Area Women’s Center, both suggest safety plans which are specific to each individual.

“Maybe when you got a protective order, you change your path to your business, you change your workplace, you change to a new phone number,” Nguyen suggested.

Smith suggests domestic violence survivors call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7243 to be connected with a local center near you. The center, Smith said, can then help survivors set up a safety plan tailored to their needs.