North Texas JROTC instructor killed by his own son, affidavit says

Master Sergeant Gene Bass died Friday in Fort Worth. In a newly released affidavit, investigators reveal his son, Xavier Bass, was charged with his murder.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Xavier Bass, 27, was charged with the murder of his father Sunday, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by WFAA.

The victim, 54-year-old Gene Bass, was shot and killed at approximately 2:25 p.m. Friday, June 28, in the 4400 block of Chesapeake Bay Drive in Fort Worth, police said. Fort Worth police said officers found the victim dead in a front yard with apparent gunshot wounds to his upper body. He was later identified as a Crowley ISD JROTC instructor.

According to the affidavit, several witnesses told investigators that shortly after the victim arrived at his home, a bald, Black male pulled up in a Ford Mustang holding a small, black handgun. The suspect, later identified as Xavier Bass, was throwing the gun up in the air and catching it, the affidavit said.

The victim, Gene Bass, approached the suspect and said, "Boy, stop playing with that gun before you shoot someone," according to witness testimony included in the affidavit. Shortly after, the suspect began firing, the affidavit stated.

Surveillance video from Gene Bass' home confirmed that a Black male exited a black Ford Mustang before Gene Bass approached them, police said. Shortly after, the suspect began pursuing Gene Bass and at one point, dust can be seen flying up from the ground, indicating gunshots, the affidavit said.

Both the victim and suspect ran out of view of the camera toward where the victim's body was located before the suspect ran back to the vehicle and drove away, according to the affidavit.

Xavier Bass was listed as one of Gene Bass' emergency contacts and detectives identified a black Mustang matching the description of the suspect on Xavier Bass' Facebook profile, according to the affidavit.

Fort Worth police said in an update Saturday that the suspect, who was later identified as Xavier Bass, was arrested without incident at a residence in Valdosta, Ga. by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators spoke with the victim's ex-wife, who provided the contact information for Xavier Bass' girlfriend, the affidavit said.

Police later spoke with a redacted individual who stated Xavier Bass lived in Georgia. She stated that Xavier Bass told her "he needed to drive to Texas and that she would find out why when she saw it on the news," according to the affidavit.

She also stated she was present when Xavier Bass called the victim, his father, on the phone to tell him he was coming to Texas. On a separate occasion, Xavier Bass told her that he felt his dad could have done more for him as a child "and not left him with his mom to struggle," according to the affidavit.

The day before the shooting occurred, Xavier Bass told the redacted individual that he was going to check himself into a mental hospital and the following day did not answer his phone. After the shooting, other family members attempted to contact Xavier Bass with no success. Upon seeing surveillance images she confirmed the man captured on video was Xavier Bass, the affidavit said.

As of Saturday, June 29, Lowndes County jail records showed that Xavier Bass was booked on Saturday with "hold for Tarrant Co. TX" listed as his charge.

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