Midlothian man charged with aggravated assault after 11-year-old shot
MIDLOTHIAN, Texas - A dispute in a Midlothian neighborhood escalated into separate shooting incidents on Sunday evening, leaving an 11-year-old girl injured and a man in custody.
Details of the shooting, the suspect
What we know:
Officers were dispatched around 7:13 p.m. to the 400 block of Brook Meadow Drive after multiple 911 callers reported gunfire inside and outside a home, according to the Midlothian Police Department.
A resident in the 4100 block of Brook Meadow Drive told dispatchers that his father, 37-year-old Mark Robert Nienhuis, had arrived at the home and began arguing with family members.
After the altercation, Nienhuis retrieved a handgun from his truck, returned to the house and fired multiple shots, one of which struck the caller’s 11-year-old sister, police said.
Nienhuis then left the scene, but authorities said Nienhuis returned minutes later and was confronted in the front yard by one of his sons, who was armed with a rifle.
Second shooting and self-inflicted injury
Dig deeper:
The two individuals exchanged gunfire, though no injuries were reported in the second shooting. Several nearby homes and vehicles were damaged by bullets.
Officers arrived about 7:17 p.m. and encountered Nienhuis armed with a knife. Police said officers ordered him to drop the weapon, but he refused and instead stabbed himself in the neck.
Officers then took him into custody and secured the knife.
What they're saying:
Emergency responders treated those involved and transported them to an area hospital. The injured girl was taken to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas with a gunshot wound to the leg and was released Monday, according to Midlothian police.
Police say Nienhuis remains hospitalized and in serious condition under police custody.
Condition of the 11-Year-Old Victim
What's next:
He faces one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony, and eight counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree felonies.
Police said no charges have been filed against the second shooter, whose actions appear to have been in self-defense.
The investigation remains ongoing.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by Midlothian police.