Australian Man Shot Dead In Texas Was Protecting His Family

The Australian man who was shot and killed in the United States desperately fought to stop his attackers from getting to his wife and kids.<br><br>Brenton Estorffe, 29, was shot dead by two intruders in the lounge room of his home in Fort Bend County, Texas, just after midnight on Wednesday.<br><br>Mr Estorffe, from the Sunshine Coast, was killed after getting up to investigate when he heard his glass door smash in the middle of the night. <br><br>His heartbroken father Michael Estorffe has revealed his son should have been celebrating his birthday when he was killed. He died just three minutes after turning 29. <br><br>He told The Australian his son had confronted the killers to stop them from entering the bedrooms where his family were. <br><br>Scroll down for video   <br><br>Brenton Estorffe (pictured with wife Angelenna), 29, was shot dead by two intruders in the loungeroom of his home in Fort Bend County, Texas, just before midnight on Wednesday <br><br>'They (the intruders) were heading towards the bedrooms where Ange (his wife) and the two kids were and he started pushing them away towards the kitchen, he wrestled those two blokes away from his wife and kids.<br><br>'That's when they shot him. Unfortunately he paid the highest price. <br><br>Brenton had moved to the US to chase his dream of becoming a punter in the NFL, before getting married to local woman Angelenna and starting a family.<br><br>His father Michael said Angelenna called him and his wife Denise immediately after the murder and was so hysterical that they thought she had also been shot.<br><br>Brenton's 10 year residency visa had only just been approved but he wasn't allowed to own his own gun as he is a foreigner. <br><br>His family have now been scrambling to organise visas and flights to the United States as Mr Estorffe's funeral is due to be held in two days. <br><br>And while his siblings have already started to make their way to Texas, Michael's travel plans have been delayed as his business visa to the US has expired.<br><br>Red flags were also raised given the current political climate as he works as the health and security manager for a Kurdish oil company.<br><br>Michael now fears he may miss his son's funeral. <br><br>Cobin Estorffe (centre, pictured with Brenton and Angelenna Estorffe) paid tribute on social media to his brother<br><br>'Hands down you are my hero': Cobin posted this to glowing tribute to his brother on Facebook<br><br>Detectives from the Fort Bend County Sheriff's office told news.com.au they were no closer to establishing why the intruders had made such an effort to break into Brenton Estorffe's  home only to leave empty handed. <br><br>'Burglaries typically take place during the day time,' Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said.<br><br>'The majority of them don't want to be interrupted. They want to come in and take your belongings. <br><br>'To break into a home at midnight by breaking glass, I mean … there were cars in the driveway. What would make them think the home was unoccupied at that time?<br><br>RELATED ARTICLES<br>Previous<br><br>1<br>Next<br><br>White cop is charged with murder after shooting dead... Mother, 42, had 'no chance of survival' after taking liquid... <br>Share this article<br>Share 'Puzzling is what it is.'<br><br>Police said Mrs Estorffe had seen the two intruders and was now working to provide a description of them.<br><br>After hearing the gunshots neighbour ran into the home in a bid to resuscitate the young father, but was unable to save him. <br><br>'When officers arrived at the scene they found the husband deceased in the living room of an apparent gunshot wound,' Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said.<br><br>'We do have individuals who say they saw a car parked nearby and then after those shots the car speeds off.  <br><br>Mr Estorffe, from the Sunshine Coast, was shot dead after getting up to investigate when he heard his glass door smash in the middle of the night <br><br>Police are looking into leads that a car was seen speeding off in the area after the shooting. Pictured: the street the Estorffe family live on in Fort Bend County, Texas <br><br>'You hear the glass breakage. You're startled, you get out of bed. And then, within just a few seconds or so, there's gunfire. <br><br>'This was a young man that had a wife and two small children, who are now growing up without a father. It breaks your heart.'<br><br>Mr Estorffe's mother, two brothers and sister are currently flying to the U.S to be by the side of his wife and children. <br><br>His father will remain in Australia, his sister Paige told Daily Mail Australia. <br><br>Cobin Estorffe, Brenton's younger brother, posted a tribute on Facebook just hours after the incident calling his sibling a 'hero'. <br><br>'Still not real brother, life will never ever be the same without you. Hands down you are my hero the way you stood up for your family,' he posted.<br><br>'Can only dream to be a little bit like you. Thanks for the amazing times we had together. Miss you and love you so much.' <br><br>Police are also looking at CCTV footage and reports a car was seen speeding from the area after the shooting. <br><br>Mr Estorffe, a personal trainer from Mooloolaba, Queensland, moved to the in 2012 to chase his dreams of playing in the NFL.<br><br>But he played just one season of college football for Southern Virginia University. <br><br>Mr Estorffe's father Michael said his son had been protecting his family when he was shot <br><br>A neighbour said she recently met the family for the first time, and described Mr Estorffe as a lovely person<br><br>In a university article published that year, Mr Estorffe spoke of his pride in playing for the football team.<br><br>'It hasn't completely set in that I have one more game to play in my collegiate career, but I feel fortunate to have been associated with such a great group of individuals over the past two years,' he wrote.<br><br>Mr Estorffe studied a finance degree at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas - just an hour's drive from where he would be shot dead years later. <br><br>In 2015 his career plans changed when he met his future wife.<br><br>The couple married and settled down in the small town of Katy, west of Houston. Mr Estorffe got a job as an assistant manager with Enterprise rent-a car. <br><br>The family's neighbour Kimberly Patel told local TV station KHOU that she recently met them for the first time, and described Mr Estorffe as a lovely person.<br><br>Mr Estorffe's death follows the 2017 shooting of Australian woman Justine Damond (left) by a police officer and the 2013 shooting of Melbourne baseballer Chris Lane (right) in Oklahoma<br><br>'I can't even imagine what the wife is going though right now,' she said.<br><br>Ms Patel said crimes happen from time to time in the area, but the fatal shooting came as a surprise to her. <br><br>'We've left our doors unlocked because we feel this is such a quiet neighbourhood. So it's pretty shocking to be honest,' she said.<br><br>Mr Estorffe's death follows the 2017 shooting of Australian woman Justine Damond by a police officer and the 2013 shooting of Melbourne baseballer Chris Lane.<br><br>Read more: <br>website<br><br>Brenton Estorffe was shot dead in a home invasion near Houston Texas Sunshine Coast<br><br>Brenton Estorffe shot dead in US defending family, father Michael says<br><br>In the event you loved this article and you would love to receive more information relating to shower enclosures ([https://morethanglass.com/products/shower-enclosures.html https://morethanglass.com/]) please visit our page.