HOUSTON – Houston police are working to sort through a series of events that left one man dead at a southwest Houston gas station and possibly another person injured at a nearby apartment complex. They said it began with the suspected gunman being punched in the face.
Officers and emergency officials with the Houston Fire Department responded to reports of a shooting on Bissonnet and Leawood around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. That’s when they began to investigate what unfolded in the moments before and after the man at the gas station was killed.
Using surveillance video and information gathered initially at the scene, here is what investigators said unfolded:
- Investigators said a man and woman inside a red vehicle pulled up to the gas station. The woman got out of the car. At that same time, the man who later died walked out of the convenience store.
- “The deceased male comes out of the store, walks up to the car, walks straight up to the to the driver’s side window, and the driver that’s sitting in the car, he punches him one time in the face,” Lt. R Wilkens said. “Our driver pulls out a pistol, starts shooting from inside the car, and shoots our complainant. The complainant goes down and dies on the scene.”
- Police said the driver of the red car took off, leaving the woman in the parking lot. Shortly after that, a third man, who police believe is a friend of the victim, walked up to the woman and started punching her multiple times. He then took off running.
- The suspect in the red car pulled back into the parking lot, picked up the woman and drove down the road.
- Police said they believe he tracked down the man who punched the woman at a nearby apartment complex and again fired shots, injuring the second man.
- When officers arrived at the scene, they located the first man with multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the gas station. He was pronounced dead shortly after, HPD said.
- The second person who was shot was transported to the hospital.
The suspected gunman is believed to have been driving a red Toyota Camry or Corolla. As of Wednesday morning, no additional information about the suspect had been released, and there was no word about a motive or arrest.
Detectives reviewed surveillance video. The victim’s identity has not yet been released.