Wood County, TX - A routine child custody exchange escalated into a shooting on the evening of October 27, leading to the arrest of the children’s biological father.
The Wood County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch received a call of a shooting at approximately 5:26 p.m. at the Dollar General on State Highway 154 West of Quitman. The shooting occurred during an argument between two men exchanging minor children per a custody agreement.
Deputies arrived and viewed security footage showing the children loading items into a dark-colored Ford F-150, driven by their biological father. The footage showed one of the men exit the second vehicle and approach the F-150 driver. After words were exchanged, the victim walked to the passenger side of the F-150. The driver, later identified as the shooter, then fired a round from a handgun, striking the victim. Security footage showed one small child leaning in the truck running and covering his ears, with other children also in the vicinity of the open door.
Investigators responded to the scene and Quitman Hospital, where they met with the victim and the children’s mother. The victim was flown to Tyler with non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators identified the shooter as Diquincie Zikeith Morris of Sulphur Springs, Texas.
On the morning of October 28, Wood County Investigators obtained a warrant for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a First-Degree Felony, signed by 402nd District Judge Brad McCambell. Investigators, with assistance from Hopkins County Investigators, Sulphur Springs Police Department, and Texas Ranger Williams, executed the warrant and apprehended Morris without incident at 308 Whitworth in Sulphur Springs.
Morris was transported to the Hopkins County Jail on a $250,000 bond and will be transported to the Wood County Jail later this evening.
