MIDLOTHIAN, Texas — An 11-year-old girl was shot and injured during a domestic-related shooting Sunday evening in Midlothian, police said.
At approximately 7:13 p.m. on April 5, 2026, dispatchers with the North Ellis Emergency Dispatch Center received multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire in the 400 block of Brook Meadow Drive. Callers reported hearing shots both inside and outside a residence.
A resident at 410 Brook Meadow Drive told dispatchers that his father, identified as 37-year-old Mark Robert Nienhuis of Midlothian, had arrived at the home and began arguing with family members. After the altercation, Nienhuis retrieved a handgun from his truck, returned to the residence, and fired multiple rounds. One of the bullets struck his 11-year-old daughter in the leg.
Nienhuis fled the scene but returned a short time later, where he was confronted by another of his sons who had armed himself with a rifle. The two exchanged gunfire in the front yard. No injuries were reported in the second exchange, though nearby homes and vehicles were damaged.
Officers arrived at the scene around 7:17 p.m. and encountered Nienhuis armed with a knife. Police said he refused commands to drop the weapon and instead stabbed himself in the neck. Officers then took him into custody.
Once the scene was secured, Midlothian Fire Department personnel treated the injured and transported them to area hospitals. The child was taken to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, treated for a gunshot wound to the leg, and later released.
Nienhuis remains hospitalized in serious condition and is currently in police custody. He faces one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony, along with eight counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Police said no charges have been filed against the second shooter, as investigators believe his actions were in defense of himself and his family.
The investigation remains ongoing.
