Deputies open fire, kill teen during robbery; 7 others arrested

HOUSTON – On Friday afternoon, there was a running gun battle through the parking lot of a local apartment complex. That was the scene Friday afternoon at the Circle at Point Park apartments in northwest Harris County near Highway 6 and Huffmeister Road.

The gunfight had some residents running for their lives.

"I was hiding," said Kathryn Alejandre. "I was hiding in the restroom because we saw so many cops just circling the windows."

Harris County sheriff's investigators said that, around 4 p.m. Friday, a group of up to eight suspects ordered food to be delivered.

When the delivery driver arrived, investigators said, the suspects ambushed and robbed the driver. When deputies got there and made their way to one of the apartments, investigators said the suspects shot at them, and they returned fire.

They came face-to-face with the shooters once the suspects somehow broke out of the apartment.

"One, in particular, the one that ended up being deceased, not only fired at the deputies but at times put the gun to his (a deputy's) head, was firing indiscriminately towards the complex, and was even laughing at times," said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

None of the deputies were injured. Javier Lopez, 19, died and deputies detained seven others. It's a day the people who live here won't soon forget.

"This is a nice area," said resident Kyra Rogers. "It's a nice complex so it's surprising. It's very surprising."

Officials said four of the seven suspects are adults and three are juveniles.  

To give you an idea of how intense this gun battle was Gonzalez said 10 or 11 deputies discharged their weapons during the shootout and, to his knowledge, that is the highest number of deputies to fire on one scene in the office's history.

A Cy-Fair Independent School District officer also fired on the suspects.


About the Author:

Emmy Award-winning anchor, husband, dad, German Shepherd owner, Crossfitter, Game of Thrones junkie, chupacabra hunter.