Kristy Gillentine, KIAH StaffKIAH
LAKE JACKSON - A battle between divorcees turned deadly Wednesday night in Lake Jackson when a man killed his ex-wife and wounded his ex-step-daughter, then killed himself, police said.
Neighbors reported hearing shots fired at about 8:20 p.m. Wednesday in the 100 block of Post Oak. While Lake Jackson Police were en route, they learned that two people had been shot and the shooter had fled in a vehicle that was being followed by one of the neighbors.
"This family had some really good neighbors," Lake Jackson Police Lt. Paul Kibodeaux said. "We got a lot of calls on this and were able to respond quickly and to the right locations thanks to their updates and information."
The pursuing neighbor led police to their location with updates on his cell phone, officials said. The chase ended when the shooter – identified as 42-year-old Curtis Maynard – turned the gun on himself while driving, police said.
Officials said Maynard's vehicle left the roadway, swerved back and struck another vehicle, then came to rest on the opposite side of the highway at 499 Highway 288 North.
Back at the home in the 100 block of Post Oak, investigators found two victims. Maynard's ex-wife – 34-year-old Melissa Meza – was dead with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Meza's 16-year-old daughter was also shot. She was life-flighted to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition, police said. According to officials, her condition had stabilized Thursday.
Two younger children of Meza and Maynard were also in the home. They ran to a neighbor's house when gunfire erupted and are now being cared for by family members, police said.
According to investigators, Maynard and Meza had been divorced for about one year and Maynard was unhappy with the situation.
"He was very unhappy with the divorce and how things were going for him, but as far as anything out of the ordinary recently, we haven't heard of anything." Kibodeaux said. "It's a very tragic situation, and very sad for the kids involved."
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