Postpartum Nightmare: Husband Kills Wife in Hospital, Then Takes His Own Life

A young couple's celebration was overshadowed by a fatal tragedy on the evening of 1 March 2026, when a father shot his wife to death after she gave birth to their first child, before shooting himself in what the police are calling a murder-suicide.

​Precious Johnson, 24 years old, was shot dead by her husband, Kynath Terry Jr., 19 years old, inside the Women's Centre of the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital on Sunday, 1 March 2026, at around 9:30 p.m. He then proceeded to shoot himself. According to reports, Johnson had just given birth to their child.

​When authorities arrived at the scene, Johnson and Terry had both died, and it was later confirmed by a Jefferson County Coroner's report that Johnson had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

The coroner also confirmed that the suspect, Terry, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, per WVTM13.

​Terry's mother later told the news outlet she was having difficulties understanding the incident, and shared that the couple was going through marital issues, stating that Johnson had expressed Terry's family was not wanted at the hospital when she gave birth to their child. Despite this, the suspect's mother said she was not privy to her son's violent tendencies.

​According to his mother, the 19-year-old Kynath Terry Jr. had just completed Army National Guard training. He married Johnson, and they were expecting their first child before he shot his wife dead and turned the gun to himself.

​Security Reviews Following Fatal Murder-Suicide

​Alabama Hospital Association president Danne Howard told the press that the incident was isolated, saying, 'I think it's sad, but this was an isolated incident, and I will say in my 30 years of working at the hospital association and representing our hospitals in the state, this is the first time something has occurred like this.'

​Howard also said that hospitals like Baptist Health Brookwood may review and update their security protocols following the tragic incident. He stated, 'The hospitals always do an after-action report and look at what are the lessons learned, what worked well, what might need to be refined.'

​He added that it is common for the hospital association to convene all member hospitals to review best practices, share information, and identify areas to work on. 'And in doing that, it's not uncommon for the hospital association to pull together, all of our hospitals to share information and best practices and what worked and what didn't work and what might need to be revisited,' he said.​

Officials Stress Safety is Paramount

​Howard assured the public that safety remains a top priority and that it is treated as tantamount to providing comprehensive patient care in the hospitals. He explained, 'There are a few places in our world where we should feel safe — at church, our hospitals, and our homes. Unfortunately, things happen and we do not feel safe anymore. We want to assure the public that our hospitals and our health care providers consider safety just as important as providing quality health care.'

​Meanwhile, Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress said in a statement that an investigation into the incident is underway and that authorities are working closely with the hospital administrators.

Andress said, 'This remains an active investigation, and we are directing all case-specific questions to the Police Department's Public Information Officer. Our thoughts are with the victim, her family, the hospital staff, and everyone impacted. We are working closely with hospital leadership and will provide updates as appropriate.'