Police said two men were shot during the exchange, leaving the mother’s boyfriend dead and the children’s father facing a murder charge.
ALLEN, Texas — Children who were present during a child custody exchange escaped physical injury after an altercation between their father and their mother’s boyfriend ended in deadly gunfire at a busy Allen shopping center, police said.
The shooting shortly before 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, left the mother’s boyfriend dead and the children’s father wounded. Police identified the father as 48-year-old Dallas resident Jorge Jairala and said he was taken into custody without incident. Authorities later charged Jairala with murder while continuing to investigate exactly how the confrontation unfolded.
Officers were sent to the parking lot at 969 State Highway 121, near North Watters Road, after reports of a shooting. Police said an altercation occurred during the custody exchange and both men suffered gunshot wounds. Emergency crews transported them to a hospital, where the mother’s boyfriend died. Jairala’s injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
The presence of the children became one of the central confirmed details in the immediate aftermath. Police said they witnessed the gunfire but were not physically injured. Officials have not disclosed their ages or the number of children involved. Authorities also have not publicly said whether their mother was present at the parking lot during the exchange.
The confrontation happened outside a shopping center along State Highway 121. The address is associated with a Starbucks, leading some initial reports to describe the case as a shooting at the coffee shop. Police accounts place the violence in the parking lot, and authorities have not said the dispute began inside any business.
Several key parts of the shooting remain unresolved in information released publicly. Police have not said who fired first or whether each man fired a weapon. Authorities also have not announced how many firearms were recovered, whether surveillance cameras recorded the confrontation or whether investigators are examining a claim of self-defense.
The identity of the man who died had not been publicly released as of Sunday. Police described him only as the boyfriend of the children’s mother. Officials have not provided his age or other identifying information. No physical injuries to other people at the shopping center were reported in the accounts released by authorities.
Jairala’s murder charge represents an accusation that will be addressed through the criminal justice system. Police have not publicly detailed the evidence supporting the charge beyond their preliminary description of the custody exchange, the altercation and the resulting gunfire. The available police statements do not establish the full sequence of events or resolve responsibility for each shot fired.
Investigators continue to examine the deadly encounter, and police have said more information will be released when available. Until then, the precise circumstances that turned a custody exchange into a fatal confrontation, including the sequence of the gunfire, remain under investigation.
Author note: Last updated September 20, 2026.