Michael Jace is best known for his portrayal of a sexually conflicted cop on the FX series The Shield, but he has now become embroiled in a real-life homicide after allegedly shooting his wife of ten years on Monday night. Jace is being held on $1 million bail after calling 911 and reportedly telling the operator, “I shot my wife.”

According to TMZ.com, Jace remained on the line and opened the door for police who entered the home to find his wife April dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Jace was taken to jail while the two young sons of the couple were placed in the custody of their maternal grandmother.

Both boys are under the age on 10 and may have witnessed the death of their mother. Det. Sal LaBarbera told the Los Angeles Times, “At the very least, they heard the shooting.”

The police speculate that the 40-year-old victim was shot at about 8:30 p.m. on Monday, shortly after returning with her sons from their baseball practice. They are currently investigating whether Jace and his wife had argued over money.

The actor had been beset by financial problems in the years following his stint on The Shield, which ended in 2008. Jace filed for bankruptcy in March 2011 claiming debts of $500,000 to $1 million, and also owed back state taxes in California. A payment plan had been set up, but by November 2013, Jace was already $2,000 behind.

Jace also had been plagued by problems with controlling his temper. The actor’s first marriage ended in 2002 amid accusations of violence, but second wife April came to his defense during the divorce.

Despite the history of the troubled actor, friends and family members are stunned by the horrifying events of Monday night. “This is more than a shock,” Carlo Laune, the older brother of April Jace, told the New York Daily News. “It’s out of this world. That’s not humanity what happened.” Laune claimed no knowledge that his sister and her husband were having any problems.

The 51-year-old Jace has a long list of credits in both films and television including Boogie Nights, Planet of the Apes, Forrest Gump, State of Play and Southland. The actor also played the title role in the 1999 TV movie Michael Jordan: An American Hero. Given his financial problems, it is not known whether Jace will be able to make bail.