Just after 5 p.m. on January 17, 2026, Brazos County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a shooting involving multiple victims at a home in Bryan, Texas. Investigators say 32-year-old Ezekiel William Barajas fatally shot his mother, 52-year-old Nancy Winn, and his stepfather, 61-year-old Gerald “Jerry” Winn, inside the residence.
According to authorities, Nancy Winn managed to place a 911 call after the shooting, telling dispatchers she had been shot and identifying her son as the gunman. She told operators that Barajas did not live at the home and had fled the scene. During the call, she reported that she and her husband were eating when Barajas opened fire, adding that there was no argument or physical altercation beforehand and that she did not know what prompted the attack. Deputies said the call was made from a locked bedroom at the back of the house.
Approximately 15 minutes later, first responders entered the home and found Nancy in the bedroom and Jerry in the hallway. Both were transported to a hospital, where they later died from their injuries.
At around 6 p.m., officers with the Bryan Police Department, assisted by DPS troopers, located Barajas sitting in a Honda Accord in the drive-thru of a Raising Cane’s restaurant on Briarcrest Drive. He was detained without incident until Brazos County deputies arrived and took him into custody. Investigators reported that the suspected murder weapon was recovered from the vehicle.
Sheriff’s officials said Barajas declined to answer questions after being taken to the sheriff’s office and did not provide a motive. He is currently being held in jail, charged with Capital Murder of Multiple Persons, and his bond has been set at $500,000. The investigation remains ongoing.
