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Abilene trash shooting: John and Michael Miller shoot neighbor over mattress in alley

Christopher Koulouris: About author bio at bottom of article.
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Aaron Howard
Pictured
Aaron Howard
Pictured Abilene, Texas father and son, John and Michael Miller who shot neighbor, Aaron Howard (right) during argument.

Video shows Abilene, Texas father and son, John and Michael Miller shoot neighbor, Aaron Howard during argument over trash in the alleyway. Stand your Ground law cited. 

Footage has been released showing the moments a Texas father and son executing a man following an argument over trash.

Video shows Aaron Howard, 37 being shot by his West Texas neighbors, John Miller and the man’s son, Michael Miller, 31 on the morning of September 1.

Abilene Police Department in a press statement posted responding to calls about shots being fired around 10.15am, with attending police arresting father and son on murder charges after the neighbor dying shortly after at hospital.

According to Howard’s fiancee, Kara Box who was present during the confrontation, Aaron and his neighbors began arguing about a mattress which had been left in an alley behind Howard’s home in Abilene.

As the three men proceeded to argue, Box began to film the ensuing episode (see below) which was handed to KTXS.

John and Michael Miller resort to using force against Aaron Howard in ‘trash’ argument:

Footage shows the both John and Michael Miller holding firearms.

The father has a pistol in his right hand while the son, standing just a few feet behind him, is gripping what appears to be a shotgun.

The two shirtless men are holding the weapons while engaged in a verbal confrontation with Howard.

Howard is heard in the video yelling at the Millers to put their guns down.

‘If you come closer to me, I’m gonna kill you,’ John Miller is heard telling Howard.

‘Hey, did you hear him say he’s going to kill me?’ Howard says to Box as she’s filming.

‘Yes,’ Box replies.

‘I’m at the dumpster,’ Howard says before turning to the Millers. ‘Put the gun up and go inside!’

The argument becomes even more heated as both sides make threats against the other reported Abilene Reporter News,  as John Miller continues to tell Howard to ‘back off.’

Finally, John Miller pulls the trigger on his pistol, though this is not captured by video.

Moments later, his son, Michael Miller, also shoots Howard. This is clearly evident in the footage.

Just before Howard is shot, Box tries to get between the three men.

‘You can see that I step between them and I said, ‘You’re not gonna shoot my husband’,’ the fiance told KTXS-TV.

Box said that John Miller ‘fired past my head.’

She then ran toward her husband amidst the chaos. In total, four shots were fired.

‘People deserve to know what actually happened,’ Box says when asked why she chose to publicly release video footage.

‘They deserve to know that John and Michael Miller are murderers.’

At some point during the back and forth, John Miller had claimed he had the right to bear his pistol after being threatened by Howard during their confrontation- utilizing the controversial stand your ground law.

The law in Texas is designed to allow individuals the right to use lethal force in self-defense as long as the person has the right to be where they are being threatened, usually pertaining to one’s own property. Despite the legal doctrine many question the aptness of the law being abused as a pretext to unleash indiscriminate force by ‘trigger happy’ shooters.

Aaron Howard Abilene shooting death: what price to bear arms?

Taylor County District Attorney James Hicks only learned of the existence of the video from KTXS-TV.

‘Video evidence like this is always graphic and very difficult to watch,’ he said in a statement.

‘But it is consistent with the charges.’

When asked what message she had for John and Michael Miller, Box said: ‘You deserve to spend your lives in prison.’

Box has since moved from the home from her deceased fiancee’s home. 

John and Michael Miller have been freed on $25,000 bond. 

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