LUBBOCK, Texas — Jennifer Read, the widow of Chad Read, granted an interview recently to Good Morning America – her first interview outside of law enforcement since the deadly shooting of Chad on November 5. Police have not officially named the shooter, but family court records and a lawsuit named William “Kyle” Carruth as the shooter. Videos released on November 24 depicted the shooting in the 2100 block of 90th Street.

In an interview with Zohreen Shah of Good Morning America, Jennifer was first asked why she released smartphone video of the shooting.

Jennifer said, “The public had a right to know.”

“It had been three weeks, nothing had been done. And I felt like the public needed to know. And I feel like Chad deserves justice,” she said.

(Use the video player above to see an extended portion of the GMA interview — more than 9 minutes of a 30 minute interview.)

Carruth, through his attorney David Guinn, said the shooting was self-defense. He released a short video of his own. Guinn made statements via phone for EverythingLubbock.com on the same day that Jennifer released her video.

The videos showed a confrontation between Chad and his ex-wife Christina over child custody. The location outside a home owned by the Carruth family.

“Kyle Carruth and Christina Read were co-workers. They also were involved in an ongoing affair with one another,” the lawsuit said. At the same time, Carruth was the estranged spouse of State District Judge Ann-Marie Carruth.

“I’m trying not to hate, and I’m trying to do what he would be proud of.”

jennifer read

Jennifer’s attorney, Matthew L. Harris, also appeared in the GMA interview.

Harris said it was only after Chad threatened to subpoena witnesses and expose “bad facts” that Carruth retrieves a gun. Harris said that Carruth escalated the situation, and he was illegally interfering with a child custody situation. Harris said for those reasons, self-defense does not apply.

“We weren’t there for an altercation,” Jennifer told GMA. “We weren’t there to try to break in the house.”

“There was no reason that Kyle has a self-defense-anything because it was a discussion between Chad and Christina about where their son was. And all Christina had to do was say, ‘My son is up at my mom’s [house].’ And we would have gone there and picked him up and it would have been over with.”

“He was a protector. He was a fighter. … He would fight to the death for any one of his friends.”

jennifer read

Jennifer also explained her reaction after the shots were fired.

“I thought it was like a stun gun or a taser gun or something like [that],” she said. “Who’s going to bring out – they’re having a discussion about a custody thing. There’s no physical altercations. Who’s gonna bring a gun out? What? Why?”

“We’ve all known each other, Chad and [Kyle Carruth] they’ve known each other a long time. This wasn’t a stranger,” Jennifer said. “There was there was not that danger.”

As for Chad, with whom she had been married about two months, she said, “He loved me like nobody has ever loved me. He protected me. He. He was amazing. And I’m absolutely-heartbroken that my future now doesn’t include him.”

Jennifer also said, “He Facetimed them every morning before school, every night before bed. He would do anything for time with his kids. And as I saw him with his children, it just made me fall more and more in love with him. He was a protector. He was a fighter. … He would fight to the death for any one of his friends.”

“I’m trying not to hate, and I’m trying to do what he would be proud of,” Jennifer said.

Those kids were his life and I’ll do whatever I can for those kids. And that’s what this is about for me now. It’s for the kids.”

Jennifer filed a court petition, separate from her lawsuit, to get custody of Chad’s kids.

Carruth’s attorney had a different take on the situation. He said Chad tried to take the gun. He said Chad posed an immediate threat and, “This is a justifiable homicide.”

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