A Houston-based Navy senior chief recruiter fatally shot his wife and injured a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent Thursday before being killed by sheriff’s deputies a few hours later, according to the Navy and local law enforcement.
NCIS agents were interviewing the wife, Takara Hightower, 34, at an Atascocita, Texas, residence at 1:30 p.m. Thursday for a domestic violence investigation, according to NCIS and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
While the precise sequence of events remains unclear, Hightower’s husband, Navy Career Counselor Senior Chief Gregory L. Hightower, 37, arrived and opened fire, fatally shooting the woman and injuring one of the NCIS agents.
Takara Hightower was holding an infant during the incident, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland.
A second NCIS agent returned fire at Hightower, who managed to flee.
About three hours later, Hightower was shot and killed after he fired at deputies who approached him near a family member’s apartment on the northwest side of Houston, according to Gilliland.
An infant and toddler at the Hightower home have been released to family members, he said.
Gilliland said deputies had previously responded to the residence as part of a “domestic prevention call for service for both parties claiming injury to each other.”
While he did not provide the date for that call, Gilliland said that a prosecutor declined charges against either party.
Family members of Takara Hightower did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
The injured NCIS agent was taken to the hospital and is stable, NCIS’s Houston said.
He declined to provide further details on the incident but said that NCIS “will provide additional information as more details are confirmed.”
An Illinois native, Senior Chief Hightower reported to the Navy Talent Acquisition Group Houston Detachment in August 2019.
He spent the majority of his 19-year career in the recruiting realm, according to his service record.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
