The recently sold home of Erica and Nicholas Allen.
An assistant principal murdered his principal wife, and then died by suicide, say police in League City, Texas. Nicholas Allen, 40, shot Erica Allen, 35, outside their home on the 400 block of Westwood Drive, then went back inside to take his own life, according to cops.
The Texas City Independent School District confirmed Erica Allen was a principal at Heights Elementary School; the Spring ISD said the suspect was an assistant principal in the district, according to KHOU. Nicholas Allen worked at Edwin M. Wells Middle School in Harris County.
“I feel sorry for the kids, they’re the ones who are going to suffer … from this happening,” neighbor Ann Flores said in the KHOU report.
Officers said they responded to a reported home invasion Tuesday night at about 10:07 p.m. Witnesses claimed to see Nicholas Allen shoot Erica Allen in the front yard, then go back inside. Officers could not make contact with him. A tactical team made its way into the residence at about 1:33 a.m., police said. They found the suspect dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. The couple’s two children, ages 2 and 7, were inside the residence but were physically unhurt, according to the police account.
Nicholas Allen had been the one to call 911, falsely reporting the home invasion, police said, according to KHOU.
Erica Allen reportedly filed for divorce and a temporary restraining order. The home had recently been sold.
“Texas City ISD is devastated to learn of the death of one of our employees, Heights Elementary School Principal Erica Allen,” the victim’s school district said in a statement obtained by KTRK. “Mrs. Allen was a caring educator and excellent instructional leader who worked for Texas City ISD for 8 years. She was a math teacher early on in her career then we hired her as an assistant principal in 2013. She has been the principal at Heights for the past three years. Texas City ISD will provide counselors for students and staff for as long as needed.”
“Our entire Spring ISD community is devastated and shocked to hear about the passing of Nicholas Allen, who had served as an assistant principal at Wells Middle School since joining the district in July 2020,” Spring ISD said in a statement obtained by KHOU. “Our thoughts are with the couple’s children and extended family as they face overwhelming grief and sorrow in the days ahead.”
[Screengrab via KPRC]