3 children found shot dead in Texas apartment/ Father, Muhammed Goher, 47, was charged with three counts of capital murder/ Goher suffered self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head

HOUSTON – Three children were found shot dead in their beds Sunday at a suburban Houston apartment building, and their father was charged with their murders after surviving an apparent suicide attempt, authorities said.

Muhammed Goher, 47, was charged with three counts of capital murder in the Sunday morning shootings, said Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Jamie Wagner.

Goher was in stable condition Sunday afternoon at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston, where he was being treated for what investigators say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head, Wagner said. A sheriff's office statement said he was expected to survive.

Goher's two daughters, ages 14 and 7, and a 12-year-old son were killed in the shootings, which were reported around 9:45 a.m. The apartment is attached to a convenience store where Goher worked, about three miles south of Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Goher is divorced from the children's mother, Norma Goher, but had court-ordered visitation rights, according to the statement.

Those rights were to be the subject of a Sept. 27 court hearing in Houston. However, Goher received the children Friday afternoon and was to have returned them to their mother Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

A female baby-sitter reported seeing Goher with a handgun and fled the apartment before hearing a gunshot, according to the statement.

Neighbors did not return telephone messages left Sunday by The Associated Press.

One neighbor, Julio Rodriguez, told the Houston Chronicle that he dialed 911 after he saw a woman screaming when she left the apartment at the time of the shooting.

"I heard her screaming, "Gun! Gun! Shoot! Shoot!' I got scared because I knew there were kids in there," he said.

Muhommad Riaz, Goher's co-worker at a convenience store near his apartment building, told the Chronicle that he had spoken with Goher Saturday. He found him to be upset over the upcoming court date and the fear of losing his visitation rights, Riaz said.

Goher said "everyone was lying" about him having a violent temper, Riaz told the newspaper.

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Goher said "everyone was lying" about him having a violent temper, Riaz told the newspaper.

Whatever. Obviously he had a violent temper.

Father Charged With Deaths of Three Children

Mayra Moreno KIAH

September 19, 2010
A father of three young children commits an unthinkable act. He's been charged with three counts of capital murder after killing his kids while they slept. That man is now resting in a hospital bed he apparently turned the gun on himself after killing his own children but he survived.

Police found 47 year old Muhammed Goher unconscious and the three children dead on the residential side of his business The A and D Food Market is located in northeast Harris County on the 13000 block of Homestead.

A friend of the man told me he was upset he didn't have custody of his children. Neighbors claim the couple had separated for quite some time and police say there is a history of domestic violence. Goher who only had visitation rights was suppose to drop off the kids with their mother on Sunday afternoon.

"Yeah he was stressed," said Raez Muhammad, friend of the father.

Muhammad spoke to a frantic father on Saturday, a person he had met a few months ago. He was helping Muhammed Goher deal with the stress of losing custody of his three children.

"So he said okay you come tomorrow (and) we will talk that's it," said Muhammad.

Muhammad arrived at three o'clock just like he promised but instead of walking inside the home to see his friend he waited outside as police combed through a homicide scene.

"We didn't even know he used a gun," said Blanca Gonzalez, who worked at Goher's store and lives across the street. She heard when a woman ran out of apartment screaming.

"She was just screaming yelling for help," said Gonzalez.

Police say the woman was living at the home to help care for Goher's three kids. She apparently witnessed as the father shot the three children; two girls ages 13 and 7 and a 12 year old boy.

"There is a good possibility they may have been asleep when they were shot," said a Houston Police homicide officer.

Police say Goher then turned the gun on himself. They found him unconscious on the floor with a gun shot wound to the head.

"The ambulance came they took the guy out he was bleeding," said Gonzalez.

Muhammad does admit Goher didn't want his children to live with their mother. The woman, a victim of domestic violence, is living in a half way house. Goher only had court order visits on the weekends.

"He said I have (a) home (and) I have (a) business why (don't) they give me (the) kids," said Muhammad.

Still, Muhammad never imagined his friend would be charged for the murder of the three children he loved so much.

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WHY would this monster have a live in to help take care of his children if he only saw them on weekends?

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wrap good question! Why in the world if there was a history of violence would he even be allowed visitation?

Who knows? DCF or CPS or whatever it's called f'd this up badly. And she is in a shelter. I pray she gets a lot of counseling. Can you imagine what that poor woman is going through? My God, to lose 3 of your children and be abused? No home to go to? Nothing? I hope the City of Houston helps this woman. I wish I knew her name. The City of Houston and Harris County owe this woman a place to live and free counseling. They made a HUGE mistake that cannot be taken back by allowing this nutcase to have visitation.