An incident in a Midwest City neighborhood Monday escalated into the shooting death of a Midwest City woman, police said.

Titania Altair Harkless, 19, died after being shot twice near Tel Star Park, NE 16 and Christine Drive, Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said today.

Clabes said Harkless was shot in the back as she tried to run from the shooter. Harkless'' husband, Patrick Wayne Harkless, 23, was hit in the leg.

Witnesses told police the couple had gone to the park with friends to confront a group that had been harassing a 17-year-old girl, Clabes said. Two hours before the shooting, officers responded to a disturbance involving the 17-year-old at Shadybrook Drive and N Shadyway Drive.

"We think what happened is the girl''s older brother rallied support from friends after the earlier incident," Clabes said. "It started as a verbal argument and ended with a death."

Family members told police Titania Harkless was a student at Rose State College.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 739-1306.