A Texas man, Jalin J. Foreman, 27, was taken into custody on Monday for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Jalen Whitlock Easterling, 25, during their daughter’s birthday celebration. The tragic incident unfolded in front of the couple’s two young children, ages 6 and 4, according to Houston authorities.
Foreman, who had been previously suspected of shooting at Easterling’s townhouse in a July drive-by, turned himself in and was booked on one count of murder. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by HuffPost, the shooting occurred on September 12 at Easterling’s home, where she was celebrating her oldest daughter’s birthday.
Easterling’s cousin, Ashlynn McBride, shared details of the tragic event in a GoFundMe appeal, stating that Foreman had been stalking and harassing her cousin in the months leading up to the shooting. Police records indicate that Foreman and Easterling had dated for about a year before their relationship ended. Since June 2023, Foreman had reportedly caused trouble for Easterling and her current boyfriend.
On the day of the shooting, Foreman arrived at Easterling’s home to drop off a birthday gift for his daughter but was not allowed inside, leading to a heated argument between him, Easterling, and her boyfriend. According to the affidavit, Foreman returned to his car to retrieve a gun and began shouting threatening phrases like “I know where you live” and “Come at me.”
Fearing an impending gunfight, Easterling’s boyfriend retrieved his own gun from the kitchen. As tensions escalated, Easterling grabbed her children near the door, but gunfire erupted between Foreman and her boyfriend. Tragically, Easterling was caught in the crossfire and was fatally shot. Witnesses later told police that after the initial gunfire, Foreman briefly left the scene in his vehicle but returned, yelling, “We going to end this now,” and threatening to reload his weapon.
Responding officers arrived at the scene around 8:35 p.m. to find Easterling dead at her doorway with a gunshot wound to the left side of her face. Foreman is now in custody as authorities continue to investigate the tragic events. Easterling’s death has left her family and community devastated, especially her two young daughters, who witnessed the horrific incident.