Police said the children’s father was wounded and taken into custody after the mother’s boyfriend died following the confrontation.
ALLEN, Texas — A 48-year-old Dallas father has been charged with murder after a child custody exchange at an Allen shopping center ended in gunfire, killing the mother’s boyfriend and leaving the father with a wound that police said was not life-threatening.
Allen police identified the father as Jorge Jairala. Officers responded at about 5:59 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, to a reported shooting in the parking lot at 969 State Highway 121, near North Watters Road. Investigators said the confrontation occurred during an exchange involving the children’s father and their mother’s boyfriend. Both men suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to a hospital.
The mother’s boyfriend died after arriving at the hospital, police said. Authorities had not publicly released his name as of Sunday. Jairala survived and was taken into custody without incident while being treated for his injuries. Police later said he had been charged with murder. A criminal charge is an allegation, and the filing does not establish guilt.
Police have released only a limited account of how the confrontation unfolded. Investigators said an altercation occurred between the two men and that both were shot, but authorities have not publicly explained who fired first, whether both men fired weapons or what evidence led investigators to file the murder charge against Jairala. Police also have not announced a motive beyond saying the confrontation happened during the custody exchange.
The shooting occurred in the parking area of a shopping center along State Highway 121. Initial reports identified the location by a Starbucks at the address, but police described the violence as occurring outside in the parking lot rather than inside the coffee shop.
The children involved in the custody exchange were present when the shooting occurred, according to police. Authorities said they were not physically injured. Police have not released their ages or said how many children were present, and officials have not disclosed whether the children’s mother was at the scene when the confrontation began.
Allen police initially described Jairala’s gunshot wound as non-life-threatening. Authorities have not publicly detailed his treatment or announced when he would be transferred from medical care following his arrest. Publicly available statements also have not detailed any bond amount, court appearance or attorney representing him.
Investigators have not announced whether one or more firearms were recovered, whether either man made a self-defense claim or whether surveillance video captured the confrontation. Those questions could become important as detectives continue reconstructing what happened before and during the gunfire.
The investigation remains active. Police have said additional information will be released as it becomes available, while the identity of the man who died and a fuller account of the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain undisclosed.
Author note: Last updated September 20, 2026.