Texas Father Shot Dead Defending His Family Home From Intruders

Young father shot and killed as he protects wife and 2 young children from intruders

Brenton Estorffe and his family. GoFundMe/Angeleanna Estorffe

A 29-year-old Australian man living in Texas was shot and killed in his home by intruders just after midnight on Oct. 16.

A father of two children aged just three and one, Brenton Estorffe was startled by the sound of broken glass and went to investigate, but was fatally wounded by a gunshot to the chest when he confronted the intruders inside his home. His wife dialed 911 as her husband’s assailants fled the property, but her husband was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards—despite a neighbor’s efforts to save his life.

In an interview with KPRC2 TV, the victim’s father, Mike Estorffe, said that: “The guys [suspects] were close to the bedroom, and he fought them all the way back to the kitchen, and then they decided to shoot him. So he saved his family, saved his kids and his wife ... we feel very proud that he did that. And that’s the type of person he was.”

Fort Bend County Police say that they are looking for two suspects in relation to the murder in the city of Katy near Houston, Texas.

In a statement, police said that: “Two male suspects broke into the home through the backdoor and shot at the victim. He died shortly after being shot. The wife and young children were not harmed.”

They added that the first suspect is a male, around 5 feet 11 inches, dark skinned, and wearing a dark colored hoodie. The second suspect is male, approximately 6 feet tall, slender build, dark skinned, and with short hair. A third suspect may have been involved, police say.

According to Fort Bend Police surveillance footage indicated a light colored, 4-door sedan with a sunroof is a vehicle of interest. The car can be seen entering the housing estate where the Estorffe family live at 12:01 a.m. and leaving the area just 8 minutes later.

A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the apprehension of the suspects.

At a press conference, Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy E. Nehls said: “We will stop at nothing—we will investigate, we will investigate, we will investigate until we can bring these individuals to justice.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Estorffe’s widow Angeleanna with funeral expenses. The campaign message on the page stated: “As you all know the Estorffes suffered a devastating loss on Wednesday morning. They have been deprived of a great father and loving husband. No amount of preparation could have prepared them for this adversity ... At this time Angeleanna has been very distraught and trying to keep a brave face for their children.”

The page has raised over $41,000 to date, and remains open for donations.