Texas Honors Lives Lost to Domestic Violence, Releases New Report
Texas Council on Family Violence releases the Honoring Texas Victims Report, detailing 161 Texans killed in 2024. Actor Jesse Eisenberg, celebrity Chef Tommi Vincent, Texas representatives and more show support during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
AUSTIN, TX – (Oct. 9, 2025) In honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) released the annual Honoring Texas Victims Report at a special event featuring celebrities, representatives and more who have taken a stand against relationship violence in Texas. The report revealed that 161 Texans were killed by domestic violence in 2024.
“The Honoring Texas Victims Report is a vital tool for Texas for two reasons. One, we know that domestic violence homicides are preventable, so we use this report to inform our lawmakers, law enforcement and more of ways we can improve our response to this epidemic. And secondly, this report is a way to remember and honor the memories of the victims in Texas. Their stories deserved a better ending, but at the very least, their stories will be used to create better endings for others,” said Gloria Aguilera Terry, CEO of TCFV.
Significant trends in the report include:
- 137 female victims and 24 male victims were murdered by their partner, ex-partner or stalker.
- Harris County led the state in number of domestic violence homicides (47 victims), followed by Bexar County (17), Dallas County (16), and Tarrant (12).
- Most victims (114 victims) were killed by an abuser with a firearm, representing a very strong trend that indicates the presence of a firearm in a domestic violence situation increases likelihood of death for the victim by 500%.
- Domestic violence does not discriminate based on age. The youngest victim recorded was a 17-year-old female, while the oldest was a 70-year-old female.
- 84% of offenders who committed domestic violence murder had a history of criminal justice intervention, underscoring the opportunities that law enforcement and courts have to collaborate with domestic violence experts to predict and prevent an increase in violence.
- 75% of victims sought help from family, friends, advocates or law enforcement. Being educated on the resources available to help a friend or family member in need is vital.
- 69% of victims were killed in their very own homes, where we are meant to feel the safest.
“The data over the last decade is very alarming because it shows that a firearm in a domestic violence situation is extremely lethal,” said Tabetha Harrison, coordinated response and safety strategies manager for TCFV. “If you want to know one of the most obvious ways we are failing survivors, look at the Honoring Texas Victims Report. There are victim narratives that tell us an abuser was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm, and yet no protocol was enforced in their district, so that abuser was allowed to keep that firearm and used it to kill their partner.”
Such narratives include Suzanne Simpson and Kenya Joy Bland from Bexar County, Teresa Houston from Harris County, and more. You can read the 2024 report and all 161 victim narratives from the Honoring Texas Victims Report at www.tcfv.org/publications.
Joining TCFV for the release of the Honoring Texas Victims Report was Actor Jesse Eisenberg, who supplied a heart-felt message of support and a personal connection to the field’s advocacy, celebrity Chef and domestic violence survivor Tommi Vincent, CEO of the Texas Tribune Sonal Shah, Texas Representatives Lacey Hull (R- Houston) and Rhetta Bowers (D- Garland), and youth advocate Teagan House.
A panel with Lee Vela from Clear Channel Outdoor, Houston City Council Member Twila Carter and Monica Gracia from Houston Apartment Association announced that the recently launched campaign I’m Ok. Are You Ok? in Houston will be expanding statewide this year. The tag line “I’m ok. Are you ok?” will appear on billboards across the state with a URL that leads to resources for survivors, and thousands of stickers will appear in bathrooms and other public spaces around Texas.
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About Texas Council on Family Violence
Texas Council on Family Violence is the only 501(c) 3 nonprofit coalition in Texas dedicated solely to creating safer communities and freedom from family violence. With a state-wide reach and direct local impact, TCFV, with the collective strength of more than 1300 members, shapes public policy, equips service providers, and initiates strategic prevention efforts. Visit us online at http://www.tcfv.org/.
