‘I Threw My Whole Life Away’: Texas Man Who Got Into Fight At Family Party Buys Gun, Kills Attendee, Cops Say

A Texas man who got into an argument over spanking his child at a birthday party allegedly left to buy a gun and then returned and killed a man, according to police.

Around 9 p.m. on June 25, witnesses told officers in Tyler that Larry Taylor was at a birthday party for the mother of his twins and wanted to leave with the children but one wanted to stay, KTSM reported.

When Taylor began spanking the child, he later allegedly told detectives, a man at the party rushed up to him so he threw a punch and the man swung back, the station reported, citing an affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Taylor said he felt it was “him against everyone else” when other guests at the party attempted to hold him back and prevent a fight.

Taylor left the party and went to buy a gun from a friend before returning to the home around 30 to 45 minutes after the incident, the affidavit states.

While Taylor was away, the man he swung at had since left, but the man’s 24-year-old son, Jabraylon Franklin, was still at the residence.

Witnesses said Taylor was shirtless and appeared to be “trying to get someone to fight him" after he came back, according to the affidavit.

The document states Taylor told police Franklin “decided to take his [father’s] place” and “approached [Taylor] and seemed like he wanted to fight him.”

As Franklin and other people attending the party told Taylor to leave, he allegedly said he shot his gun six or seven times, fatally striking Franklin and critically wounding 25-year-old Cameron Price, who the suspect later said was “my guy,” the affidavit states.

“I threw my whole life away,” police claimed Taylor told them.

In addition to the murder count, the suspect also faces an aggravated assault charge. He was being held on $1.15 million bond, KLTV reported.