Husband arrested after elementary school assistant principal killed in Benbrook
The man who was arrested after Luella Merrett Elementary assistant principal Lindsay Velasquez was fatally shot at her Benbrook home is her husband, records show.
Lindsay Velasquez, 42, and Alberto Alexander Velasquez, 39, were married, according to property records for their house in the 1000 block of Sproles Drive.
Alberto Velasquez also is employed by Fort Worth ISD, according to a statement from the school district. He is certified to teach social studies for grades 7 through 12, according to state records. His teaching certification is valid but is currently under review by the Texas Education Agency’s Educator Investigations Division, online records show.
Benbrook police and EMS responded about 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 17, to the couple’s home after a report that someone had been accidentally shot in the face, police said in a statement. When officers arrived, they found Lindsay Velasquez unconscious with an apparent gunshot wound.
The mother of three was taken to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, where she was pronounced dead, police said. She died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Her husband, Alberto Velasquez, was arrested in connection to the shooting and faces a manslaughter charge, according to Tarrant County jail records. He was released from jail on bond Tuesday morning. His appointed defense attorney declined to comment on the case.
Benbrook police have not released additional details about what led to the shooting, and they said the investigation remains ongoing.
Community and school react to tragic shooting
A neighbor said the Velasquez family moved into the home more than a year ago. She said she had little interaction with them, aside from noticing many children coming in and out of the house.
Another neighbor said it was “very, very sad” and that she understood the shooting was described as an accident, but she didn’t know much about it other than seeing the police and ambulance respond.
Lindsay Velasquez was in her second year as the assistant principal of Luella Merrett Elementary School, which is part of Fort Worth ISD, according to the school’s website.
“Lindsay was so many things to so many people... a daughter, wife, sister, aunt, and a dear friend, but above all else, she was a devoted and loving mother to her three beautiful daughters, who were the very center of her world. They were her purpose, her pride, and her greatest joy,” according to a GoFundMe organized for funeral and memorial expenses and to help provide for Lindsay Velasquez’s three daughters.
“The loss of Lindsay leaves a void that will be felt forever in the lives of those who loved her, especially her daughters, who now face a future without their mother’s presence, guidance, and unwavering love,” the GoFundMe post states. “It’s a loss that words can’t fully hold — one that will echo through every season of life ahead, in both the ordinary and extraordinary moments where a mother’s love is meant to be felt most deeply.”
Counselors are being made available to students and staff at the affected campuses, Fort Worth ISD officials said. “We are deeply saddened by this loss, and our thoughts are with the family and all those impacted,” the district said.