Man fatally shoots girlfriend outside Texas Roadhouse and abducts 2 kids, Texas cops say

A 30-year-old man fatally shot his girlfriend during an argument in a Texas Roadhouse parking lot, authorities in Texas said.

He then fled with his two children, officials said, prompting an Amber Alert that said the two girls were abducted.

The Amarillo Police Department was called to the Texas Roadhouse shortly before 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, and found a 23-year-old woman with gunshot wounds, according to a news release from the department.

She was taken an area hospital, where police say she died of injuries connected to the shooting.

Investigators learned the two were in a relationship and had traveled to Amarillo in separate cars. It is not clear who the children traveled with.

“Once the identity of the suspect was established, an Amber alert and regional broadcasts were issued,” police said, adding that a murder warrant was issued for the man.

The Amber Alert was canceled at about 3:30 a.m. May 1 after the man was arrested in Hereford, about 50 miles away in northwest Texas, KVII reported. He was booked into jail.

A police spokesperson told McClatchy News the two girls, ages 5 and 8, were found safe with their father.

McClatchy News is not naming the suspect to protect the identity of the children. A police spokesperson said she was not sure if the man had legal custody of the children when he fled with them.

This story was originally published May 2, 2022 at 1:45 PM.