A 36-year-old woman was arrested on a murder charge after her boyfriend, 42, was shot in the chest during a dispute early Christmas Eve in far West Bexar County, authorities said. Deputies found the man unresponsive around 6:30 a.m. at a home on the 100 block of Mallow Grove.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Courtney Renee Hooper. Sheriff Javier Salazar said the shooting followed an argument over a car and a cellphone inside the residence, where children were present. The man, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene despite lifesaving efforts. Hooper was taken into custody shortly afterward and booked into the county jail. Investigators have collected home surveillance footage and statements as they prepare the case for prosecutors. The sheriff said domestic-violence calls typically rise around the holidays and described this case as part of that seasonal surge.
Deputies were dispatched just after daybreak Wednesday to the Mallow Grove address near Potranco and Talley roads. When they arrived, deputies found the victim with a single gunshot wound to the chest and immediately began CPR, Salazar said. Hooper, who had been detained at the scene, later told reporters she was “protecting” herself. In a briefing, Salazar said the dispute escalated inside the home before the shot was fired. He said Hooper provided investigators with video she claimed would show her being assaulted shortly before the shooting. “Notably, she provided us with a video that she felt would exonerate her,” Salazar said, adding that, after review, “it just seemed like that made her seem even more guilty.” Detectives seized the firearm and canvassed the area for additional video while crime scene technicians processed the house.
Authorities said the weapon used was legally possessed. Hooper’s children were inside the home during the incident and were placed with Child Protective Services after deputies secured the scene, according to the sheriff. Salazar said there is an “extensive” history of prior dating-related calls to the residence, most involving men other than the victim in this case. Investigators are still working to determine the precise sequence of events inside the home before the shot. The sheriff’s office has not released the 42-year-old victim’s name pending formal identification and notification of next of kin. Detectives also have not publicly detailed how the argument began, whether anyone else witnessed the shooting, or where inside the residence the gun was fired.
Neighbors described the subdivision as quiet but busy during the holidays, with many families visiting in the days leading up to Christmas. The shooting marked at least the third domestic-violence case leading to gunfire reported in Bexar County within five days, according to local coverage of recent incidents. Salazar said his agency historically sees an uptick in domestic-related homicides and assaults at the end of December. The home on Mallow Grove sits in a rapidly growing area of far West Bexar County, where new construction and cul-de-sacs fan out from Potranco Road. Deputies closed the street for several hours Wednesday morning while technicians documented the scene, collected shell casings, and photographed interior rooms.
Hooper was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a murder charge. Jail records show she is being held without bond as the investigation continues. Salazar said the surveillance video “showed at least some of the disturbance that led to this murder,” but did not depict an assault on Hooper. Detectives will submit their reports to the Bexar County district attorney’s office for review and formal charging decisions. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause and manner of death. Investigators are also examining call logs and prior reports tied to the address and expect to conduct additional interviews with neighbors and family members. It was not immediately clear whether Hooper had retained an attorney.
At the sheriff’s headquarters Wednesday afternoon, Salazar called the case “pretty clear-cut” based on the evidence gathered so far. He said deputies have recovered the firearm and will seek forensic testing on the weapon and any trace evidence. He emphasized the timing — on Christmas Eve — made the death especially painful for the victim’s relatives. A family friend of Hooper told local reporters she believed the couple had a troubled relationship, echoing statements about prior disturbances but offering no details about the shooting itself. In the subdivision, residents said patrol cars and crime scene vans lined the block for hours as detectives went in and out of the house. One neighbor said deputies knocked on doors asking for any doorbell video from the early morning hours.
Court scheduling is underway. Salazar said Hooper has a preliminary hearing set for March 24. Prosecutors will determine whether to present the case to a grand jury before trial. If additional evidence emerges, the sheriff’s office said it will update the case file and supplement reports. The district attorney’s office has not announced whether it will seek any sentence enhancements or additional charges connected to the presence of children at the scene. The victim’s family has not released a statement. Authorities expect to publish the victim’s name after next-of-kin notifications are complete and the medical examiner confirms identification.
By late Thursday, deputies said the investigation remained active, with follow-up interviews planned and additional video to review from cameras inside and outside the home. The sheriff’s office said further updates will be posted after the holiday week once laboratory requests are filed and the autopsy report is returned. No other arrests are expected in the case at this time.