On the evening of April 22, 2026, 37-year-old Michael Joseph Owens was fatally shot at a residence in the 1600 block of 126th Street in Lubbock, Texas. Deputies from the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office responded after a 7:20 p.m. 911 call; the caller identified himself as the shooter and was later identified as the victim’s 78-year-old father, Michael Vernie Owens.

Officers found Michael Joseph Owens with a gunshot wound to the head. His father was still at the scene and surrendered without incident. Court documents and the elder Owens’ statement say the men had an ongoing dispute over money; investigators were told the father opened a new bank account to block the son from withdrawing funds and that a confrontation after the father returned home escalated to the shooting. Michael Vernie Owens was charged with murder and booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center.

If anyone knew Michael Joseph Owens or witnessed what happened that evening, please share information with the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office.