What the man accused of shooting ex-wife 4 times said as he left jail
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The man accused of breaking into his ex-wife's home and shooting her four times while their children were asleep inside is out of jail on bond.
Tuesday night was the first time he has spoken since the violent morning when the shooting occurred.
As Aaron Wright walked out of jail, ABC13 Shelley Childers asked him about the shooting.
Shelley: Aaron, why did you try to kill your ex-wife?
Aaron: I didn't, ma'am.
Shelley: You didn't try to kill your ex-wife? Did you shoot her four times?
Aaron: No ma'am, I did not.
Shelley: Did you shoot her four times while your children were in her home?
Aaron also told ABC13 that "I didn't open fire. I would never do anything around my kids, and I would never do anything like that, ever."
You can watch the full exchange between Aaron Wright and ABC13 reporter Shelley Childers in the video player above.
A judge granted Aaron a $175,000 bond, telling him he has to stay 200 feet away from his ex-wife's home, even if the children are there.
The judge stressed the fact that it appears Aaron had an elaborate plan when he broke into his ex-wife's house. He allegedly turned off the power, disabled the alarm, broke in through a back window and shot ex-wife Andrea Wright four times, all while their four kids slept.
Aaron reportedly used the electrical box on the side of the home, which was unlocked at the time of the shooting, to cut off the power.
ORIGINAL STORY: Gunman shoots ex-wife 4 times on day of court appearance for child custody battle, deputies say
Video from the courtroom shows him standing before the judge.
The judge said, because of Aaron's "planning" and "technique" used to break in, she set his bond at $175,000 - $100,000 for a burglary charge and $75,000 for an aggravated assault charge.
The defense argued it should be lower because Aaron is low risk and pays child support for his children ages 7, 9, 11 and 13 years old. The judge said no.
Judge sets $175K bond for man accused of shooting ex-wife 4 times in NW Harris Co.
Aaron returned to court on Wednesday morning, where his bond conditions were laid out. The judge made it clear that if Aaron violates them, he will be sent back to jail.
Appearing in a suit and mask, Aaron kept his head down and did not speak. He was accompanied by his attorney Chris Tritico.
Aaron is to have zero contact with everyone connected to the case, including his four children. He is only allowed to go to his house, his job and his lawyer's office.
Aaron must also always wear a monitoring device and is not allowed to possess any weapons, consume any alcohol or drugs and must adhere to a curfew. He will only be allowed to leave his house at 6:30 a.m. and must be back home by 7 p.m.
"The bond situation in Harris County has been given a lot of scrutiny over the last couple of years. We have to take a look at the Texas Constitution, the United States Constitution where it says people are entitled to bond. He's been given a reasonable bond, a high bond, and he's been given very strict restrictions on that bond. He can't leave his house unless he's at work and then when he's at work, he can't leave work. I don't know what more we can do," Tritico said.
Aaron Wright appears at bond conditions hearing
Meanwhile, Andrea is stable in the hospital. She has undergone at least one surgery and will likely need more, according to her current boyfriend.
Surveillance video shows Aaron and his girlfriend walking towards Andrea's house Monday at 3:08 a.m., then running away two minutes later.
His girlfriend has not been charged in the case. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said they are working to positively identify everyone involved.
Court records show that Aaron filed for divorce two years ago.
In February 2020, Andrea was granted a temporary protective order against Aaron, but a judge denied her attempt to extend it in November of that year.
Both neighbors and Andrea's current boyfriend said the former couple has a tumultuous relationship.
"Yeah, I think that's a problem. That's our judicial system, unfortunately," a neighbor said. "I think there needs to be some changes to keep people like that away from people, you know, from her. Her ex-husband, who she knows is a violent person."
Records from HCSO show three calls for service to her address since March, including a terroristic threat and a suspicious vehicle. Precinct 4 has at least 13 calls from both Aaron and Andrea between 2019 and 2020. Many were requests from Andrea for welfare checks on their children while they were staying at their father's home.
Neighbor Richard Carlson said Aaron broke into Andrea's home shortly after she moved in.
Investigators say Aaron may have anticipated losing custody of the kids when the pair was scheduled to appear in court Monday for a child custody hearing.
Right now, we're waiting for the judge to go over the protective order, which we expect will have more specifics on Aaron not contacting Andrea.
Friends and family of Andrea set up a GoFundMe to help cover her medical expenses.
