A woman is dead, and her brother is on the run, facing charges for her murder after a chaotic shooting over the weekend. The Houston Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for 35-year-old Richard Taplin, who is now charged with murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and unlawful carry of a weapon with a felony conviction.
Tragic gunfire erupted at the 8100 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard on Saturday night, around 9:50 p.m., where detectives from the HPD's Homicide Division found Sarah Taplin, 24, fatally wounded. According to a statement released by the City of Houston, an argument sparked between the victim and another unidentified female before the suspect decided to intervene violently.
The situation further escalated when Richard Taplin took possession of a firearm from an individual in the vicinity and began shooting, aiming at the unidentified woman as she attempted to escape. As he continued to fire, bullets flew indiscriminately, with one striking his sister, Sarah, who ended up as an unintended target in a nearby gas station parking lot. She was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Taplin, who has a previous felony conviction, fled before authorities arrived and is now considered armed and dangerous. The Houston community has been put on high alert while the manhunt intensifies. "Investigators learned that an argument took place between the victim and another unidentified female. The suspect, Richard, then took a firearm from someone nearby, pointed it at the unidentified female, and fired at her as she fled. While Richard shot at the unidentified female, he was also shooting indiscriminately into a crowded gas station parking lot across the street", the HPD detailed. They urge anyone with knowledge of Richard Taplin's whereabouts or additional information pertinent to the case to contact the HPD Homicide Division or remain anonymous by reaching out to Crime Stoppers.
Authorities have also released a 2023 booking photo of Richard Taplin in hopes that the public might aid in his swift capture.
