A mom called a crisis line for her son. About an hour later, cops say he shot his dad. His dad died.

The shooting happened Monday night in Corpus Christi. Cops rushed to a home on Greenwich Drive. It happened around 11:32 p.m. Cops got the call after reports of shots fired.

Cops charged Markus Xavier Benavidez, 20, with murder. His dad died at the scene. This case shows how fast a mental health crisis can turn deadly. It happened even after the family tried to get help.

Cops reached the home fast. They found Benavidez outside. He matched the description they had. Cops took him into custody. He did not fight back.

Inside the house, cops found his dad. He had a gunshot wound to the head. Medics said he died at the scene. El Tejano will not name him. He is the victim in this case.

The victim's wife called 911 that night. She is the defendant's mom. She told cops her son shot her husband. She said he shot him in the head. She said her son ran off on foot.

Court papers tell more of the story. The mom said her son had just left the hospital. He had spent days there. He was going through drug withdrawal. He was seeing things that were not real, the papers say.

About an hour before the shooting, the mom called a crisis line. She was concerned. Her son's mind was getting worse fast, the papers say.

The mom said her husband was asleep. He was in their bedroom. Their son began to act strange. He walked into the room. He grabbed a gun off the nightstand.

She tried to stop him. She heard shots go off. The shots came during the struggle, the papers say.

Cops found a gun in the room. They found one spent bullet too. Crime scene techs searched the house. Cops also tested Benavidez's hands for gun residue.

Cops read Benavidez his rights. He would not answer questions. But he said one thing on his own. "I did what I did," he told cops, the papers say.

Cops then took Benavidez to the police station. Detectives tried to talk to him again. He still would not talk.

Cases like this raise hard questions. What do you do when a loved one is in crisis? What if there is a gun in the house? The mom in this case did the right thing. She called for help. It was not enough to stop what happened next.

Crisis lines can send counselors. They can also ask cops to check on someone in danger. But help does not always come fast. It depends on the city and county. Families with a loved one in crisis often have few good choices. When it matters most, there may be no time left.

A gun in the home adds more risk during a mental health crisis. Doctors often warn families to lock up guns. They say to do this during a breakdown or withdrawal. It is not clear if that step was possible here. This happened before the shooting.

The case is still open. Corpus Christi police are still digging. Benavidez faces a murder charge. That charge could change as the case moves forward.

Call or text 988 if you face a mental health crisis. That line reaches trained counselors. They answer day and night.