Police: Former Texas A&M player, wife die after being shot in home

The Eagle.Com ^ | July 30, 2016 | TRAVIS L. BROWN

[native texan]

Former Texas A&M and NFL linebacker Antonio Armstrong and his wife died Friday in Houston, the university said in a statement issued Friday evening. According to police, the two were shot by a teenager in their home near Houston.

[native texan]

KTRK-TV in Houston reports that the couple's 16-year-old son, who called 911, has been charged in connection with the shootings, while a story posted on the Houston Chronicle's website states a teen has been charged but it is not known if the boy is a relative. Police were called to the home in the 5300 block of Palmetto Street in Bellaire at about 1:30 a.m. to follow up on reports of gunfire, according to authorities. Jimmy Dodson, a homicide investigator with the Houston Police Department, told the Chronicle that once officers arrived they found Antonio and Dawn Armstrong wounded, but the woman died at the scene. The teen will be placed in juvenile custody, Dodson said. Antonio Armstrong was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston where he died hours later, according to reports. By Friday evening, police had not yet released details about the shooting. Armstrong played for A&M from 1991-94 and was a first-team All-American for the Aggies as a senior. He was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award in 1994, given to the nation's top college linebacker each year. Armstrong never lost a game at Kyle Field during his time at A&M, adding to the Aggies' 26-game winning streak, which was the national active high mark at the time. He finished his career at A&M with 154 total tackles, including 17 sacks and 31 tackles for loss. "Antonio was a special young man," former Texas A&M head coach R.C. Slocum said in a statement issued by the university. "He was an All-American and an outstanding player, but he was an even better person. He was such a positive influence on his teammates. He always had a great big smile and was a joy to coach." The San Francisco 49ers drafted Armstrong in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft, but he would play four games in 1995 with the Miami Dolphins. His career ended early due to injury, according to his bio on the website of 1st Class Training, the workout facility he owned. Armstrong worked as a motivational speaker, according to his Linked In profile. He has another son and a daughter, according to his 1st Class Training biography. It wasn't immediately known whether the other children were home at the time of the shooting. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Antonio Armstrong and his family, his old teammates and the entire Aggie family," current Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said in a statement issued by the university. "Our strength coach Larry Jackson was a teammate of Antonio's and thought the world of him. This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts are broken." Rusty Burson befriended Armstrong while covering Texas A&M for Aggie Illustrated Magazine and their friendship continued through Burson's time working with the 12th Man Foundation. The two stayed in contact over recent years as well, Burson said. "He was such a committed, devout Christian husband and father," Burson said. In a book he co-wrote called What It Means to Be an Aggie in 2010, Burson interviewed Armstrong for a chapter in which the former A&M linebacker told the story of his childhood -- born to a 15-year-old mother and a 16-year-old father. Armstrong said in the book he never really knew his father and that drove him to make his duties as a father the primary purpose of his life. "I can't emphasize enough how much I admired him and loved him for his walk," Burson said. "He was the real deal. There was nothing fake about him. He's just a constant role model. He was the All-American football player and the All-American dad and I love him like a brother."

[txrefugee]

It could be a case of parents trying to discipline a wayward child. It happens too often in these evil days.

[Vaquero]

Not for Armstrong and his wife. But for the teenagers involved

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q1vXZKr2cAQ

[Jim W N]

Another sad example and result of the prevailing dysfunction in black families and black culture which desperately needs to be addressed, instead of coddled by the likes of the Left and our Enemy in Chief.

[T Baden]

Before making a blanket statement like that, one might be wiser to check into the background a little bit more. Anthony (Shorter) Armstrong was a role model of good in the black community. He was an assistant pastor in a Christian church and a motivational speaker to troubled teens. You make it sound as if he and his wife were part of the problem instead of attempting to be part of the solution. Gig ‘em!

[Navy Patriot]

Important info with photos on the Armstrong family:

Antonio & Dawn Armstrong’s Family

Son was an "Aspiring Rapper".

[Jim W N]

No, I’m not saying the parents were at fault. I’m saying the black culture in general is dysfunctional and popular culture along with Obama seems to encourage this kind of outrageous behavior, in this case among young balck people.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Do you suppose the Black Lies Matter thugs will demand justice for this couple?

I don’t think so either.

[cherry]

sadly, this is far too common, and it probably happens in the white community even more....

there is something in our society which encourages people to act drastically...to act selfish...to be "me first" in all things...and "I'll show them" .....

where is the love?..

give me the old American family values of "Father knows best" anytime....

[Navy Patriot]

It seems like Antonio and Dawn Armstrong are a nearly perfect example of the high quality individuals and parents that American Blacks can become, and they are the victims of the degenerate and evil modern American "Black" culture in conjunction with the American Progressive Socialist Democrat principles and policy.

The Armstrong family was destroyed by the WAR ON THE FAMILY by these two groups of people.

Negro culture, Progressive culture, American Main Stream Media, Hollywood, and I'll bet public education did the job here.

Those are the ones who teach kids to kill.

[Jim W N]

Yes, it is a mutinous age - against parents especially fathers, against men in general, against humanity, and against God.

[Jim W N]

Yes. The already dysfunctional black culture is inflamed by the dysfunctional politically-correct popular culture who applauds as blacks are killed by the bushel by their own in their own communities. The Left are revealed as the true haters of blacks.

[silverleaf]

culture perhaps

But it seems this FAMILY did everything they could and should except perhaps recognize the depth of their son’s mental illness

[Vaquero]

Yup agreed. The trail of destruction of proper, decent American culture can be traced all the way back to the White Hut. It’s not an accident but the methodical destruction of capitalist America by slimy Marxists and Islamicists.

[Jim W N]

Mental illness is possible. But so often, a bizarre act of cruelty if not an “Allah Akbar” guy is a black. The Right is so scared to say that because of the incendiary and somewhat meaningless label of “racist”. And the Left uses exactly such labels to keep people from addressing the core issues of the self-loathing and self-destructiveness dysfunction of black culture.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Paragraphs, my FRiend...paragraphs.

[dfwgator]

Probably a Katrina refugee.

[BunnySlippers]

One paragraph.

[Cen-Tejas]

...........what a shame, young blacks need role models like this.

Too early to tell what happened but my SUSPICION adding it all up (Houston, Bellaire, high income family) is that the kid was drug induced to do what he did. No “normal” person comes home and blows mom and dad away.

I have a wealthy friend who’s son threatened the same thing. Thankfully he never acted on it. It was meth in his case, and alcohol, and marijuana. He was white so this is a tragedy that can strike any race.

I personally cannot remember when a black son came home and blew his mom and dad away. I can remember when those two white twins blew their mom and dad away.

[Grams A]

Believe their son went to Kincaid School so he had a very good private school education. Grandson want to go there and be part of their track program but tuition is around $20,000 a year - a bit much for a high school student.