A 75-year-old woman, identified as Linda Edwards, died on Tuesday after being struck by several shots while collecting cans on the porch of an apartment complex in South Houston. The main suspect, Amber McNulty, 43, was arrested at the scene.
According to police, McNulty fired from inside her home through a window. She claimed she acted because she felt threatened. The victim was known for collecting cans in the area, and another resident had left some for her on the porch just before the shooting.
McNulty, who lived in the same apartment where the cans had been left, put on a bulletproof vest, grabbed a .223 caliber weapon, and fired when she saw Edwards approaching. After the shooting, she left the apartment and warned that she would shoot again if anyone else tried to “take her things”.
Although she has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm, she does not yet face homicide charges, although she is considered the only suspect. Authorities indicate that further charges are expected as the investigation progresses.
McNulty has a criminal record and a documented history of mental illness. She was on probation for a 2018 aggravated assault with a weapon case in Florida, and had also been convicted in Houston in 2020 for attacking a man with whom she had a relationship. In 2023, she was charged with assaulting a nurse who was treating her, although that case was later dismissed. Medical records mention diagnoses related to psychosis and anxiety and personality disorders.
