Layla Steele was 24 and from Houston when she was shot multiple times and killed on July 1, 2021, while holding her 1-year-old son, Zeus. The shooting happened during a domestic dispute at an apartment complex in the Westchase area of Houston; emergency responders tried to save her but she succumbed to her injuries. Zeus was injured and treated in hospital and was recovering.

Police arrested 27-year-old Zacchaeus Rashad Gaston, identified as the father of Layla’s son, and charged him with one count of murder and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Witnesses reported seeing a physical altercation between Gaston and Layla before the shooting and said he fled the scene; an anonymous tip led to his arrest. At the time he was out on seven felony bonds and wearing an ankle monitor; Layla had held a protective order against him that was later dismissed.

The family criticized the system for allowing someone with a history of violent behavior to remain free. Does anyone have information about the events at the Westchase apartment on July 1, 2021, or about Layla’s last days?