Former NFL linebacker Antonio Armstrong and his wife Dawn were reportedly shot and killed by their teenage son at their home in Houston early Friday morning.
According to The Houston Chronicle, police responded to shots of gunfire at the Armstrong family’s town home at around 1:30 a.m. Both Antonio and Dawn had been shot in their bedroom, with Dawn pronounced dead at the scene and Antonio later dying in the hospital.
The couple’s 16-year-old son has been charged with murder. A report from KTRK says the 16-year-old was the one who called 911 and police found a note that read “I’ve been watching you” near the gun. The Armstrongs also have a daughter, who was home at the time of the incident but was said to be unharmed.
Antonio Armstrong was an All-American at Texas A&M in the 1990s. He enjoyed a brief NFL career that included a season with the Miami Dolphins and some time as a practice player with the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams. Armstrong then went on to play in the CFL from 1998-2001.
Vaun Lee and Clifton Dowling, second cousins of Dawn Armstrong, told the Chronicle that Dawn and Antonio seemingly had “great” relationships with all of their children.
“They kept them busy and they supported them in everything that they did. There was not any mark that they missed with their children,” Lee said. “There was nothing that even could possibly have justified this situation. This doesn’t even make sense.”
The Armstrongs were very involved with their Houston community, and it goes without saying that residents are shocked. Our thoughts are with their friends and family during this tragic time.
