On the night of April 10, 2026, a 6-year-old boy did something no child should ever have to do. He picked up a phone and called 911 to report that his father had shot his mother.
The call came from a home in the 14100 block of Cypress Falls Drive in the Fairwood community of Cypress, a quiet northwest Harris County neighborhood. It was just after 10 p.m. when deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the scene.
What they found inside the home was devastating. Tynice Friday, 30, was lying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. Her two children, a 6-year-old son and an 18-year-old child, were present in the home and witnessed the entire attack. Neither child was physically injured.
According to investigators, Friday’s estranged husband, Keith Washington, had arrived at the home in a silver pickup truck. He first fired through the living room window, shattering the glass, before forcing his way inside. Once inside, he shot Friday multiple times in front of their children and then fled the area.
Family members told deputies that Friday had recently filed for divorce and had expressed fear for her safety due to Washington’s recent behavior. The couple had been living apart at the time of the shooting.
After fleeing the scene, Washington led law enforcement on a pursuit across northwest Harris County. Deputies from Harris County Precinct 4, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety and an aerial unit, tracked him to a dead-end road where he became cornered.
When deputies attempted to take him into custody, Washington refused to comply and fired shots from inside his truck. A SWAT team responded, and a standoff lasting several hours ensued. Eventually, Washington surrendered without further incident. He was evaluated by EMS before being taken into custody and transported to the Harris County Jail.
Washington has been charged with murder in connection with Friday’s death. He made his first court appearance on Saturday, though officials have not released a bond amount. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities continue to review the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The Fairwood community has been left shaken by the tragedy, which unfolded on a quiet residential street. Friends and family have offered support to the children, who are now without their mother. Tynice Friday was described by loved ones as a devoted mother whose life was cut short by an act of domestic violence.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident and is asking anyone with additional information to contact them or Crime Stoppers. Support resources for domestic violence survivors and grief counseling are available for those affected by the tragedy.