HOUSTON – The Houston Police Department is launching a task force in effort to prevent domestic violence in the Houston area.
The initiative comes shortly after a man shot and killed his wife, before shooting and killing himself. During the shooting, the woman's 8-year-old daughter was grazed by a bullet.
Resident Marco Rivera said that when he opened the front door of his southwest Houston home he found the injured 8-year-old and her siblings.
"My first reaction was to make sure that she doesn't die in my arms," Rivera said. “She told me the stepdad was arguing with the mom and he shot her mom.”
READ: Child injured in murder-suicide of mother, stepfather, police say
The child was taken to a nearby hospital but is expected to be OK.
It was a similar story that played out days ago in the same area where a woman was killed after a man kicked down her door.
Houston police said they have had enough.
Assistant Police Chief W.R. Dobbins said that the latest case highlights a growing issue in the city.
“This brings to light something we are consciously addressing and bringing to light in our city and that is domestic violence," he said.
Dobbins said the Police Department will expand its efforts to combat violence through a new initiative that will begin in May.
“We have identified the apartments that have the most cases of domestic violence,” he said.
Details are limited but Dobbins went on to say that the goal is to establish meetings and routine discussions at these particular complexes.
Chau Nguyen, with the Houston Area Women’s Center, said that organization works hand in hand with Houston police and believes that providing resources is instrumental in efforts to break the cycle of violence.
“We know it’s a prevalent problem and it is time to get it out of the shadows,’ Nguyen said. “It is time to talk about it and believe survivors and let them know they are not alone, it's not their fault and help is available through agencies like ours."
Houston police have not yet released the list of complexes that will be included in the new initiative.