Man shot after stolen tailgate owner arranges armed meetup with alleged sellers in Fifth Ward

HOUSTON – A man was shot during a gunfire exchange in the parking lot of a restaurant in the Fifth Ward Wednesday afternoon after a meetup over a stolen tailgate turned violent, according to Houston police.

The shooting happened around 2:45 p.m. at Frenchy’s Chicken, located in the 4400 block of the East Freeway, HPD officials said.

Investigators say the incident stemmed from a vehicle tailgate that had been reported stolen the night before.

According to police, the owner later spotted what he believed to be his stolen tailgate listed for sale online. He arranged to meet the sellers at the restaurant parking lot.

“Right now, we can’t confirm the tailgate was the one that was stolen,” HPD Lt. Larry Crowson said at the scene. “It was obviously from the same model of truck and same color, but it could be a separate vehicle.”

Officials said the man went to the meetup armed and brought along a couple of friends who were also armed.

When they arrived, they encountered three men who were there to sell the tailgate. Police say all parties were armed, and a shootout broke out shortly after the meeting began.

One of the alleged sellers was shot in the arm and the upper neck area during the exchange and was transported to the hospital. He is expected to survive.

The other two sellers fled the scene with the tailgate, police said.

The buyers remained at the location and were speaking with officers as the investigation continued. Officials have not yet determined if charges will be filed against either of the parties in this incident.

Lt. Crowson urged the public not to take matters into their own hands when dealing with stolen property, as these situations can quickly escalate and put multiple people at risk.

No additional information about potential charges has been released. The investigation remains ongoing.