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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Two people were killed in separate shootings just blocks away from each other in Fifth Ward over a span of two hours Saturday night. This was part of what proved to be a violent night in the Bayou City with a total of seven shootings that resulted in four deaths.
The Houston Police Department said they received the first call at about 8:30 p.m. near Liberty Road and Staples Street.
Upon arrival, officers found a woman inside of a car with multiple gunshot wounds, who died after being transported to the hospital.
About two hours into their investigation, police said they heard gunshots just a few blocks east. As they headed over to the second shooting near Liberty Road and Hutton Street, officers saw a large crowd dispersing and found a man shot to death. They say there was also another victim who drove himself to the hospital and is now in stable condition.
While at the first scene, HPD said they saw a car driving toward them from the direction of the second shooting shortly before a police chase unfolded. Cameras captured the moment officers and detectives drew guns and yelled commands to a man who ran through crime scene tape.
“One individual took off running from that scene. So officers gave chase to that individual. But they were not able to locate him. They set up a perimeter. They also called for a K9 unit and a helicopter. But they were not able to locate him at all,” HPD Asst. Chief Yasar Bashir said.
The two people in the car were questioned and released. Police said they found a weapon, however, there’s no indication they had anything to do with the homicide.
HPD acknowledged how alarmed neighbors feel with the amount of violence that occurred in just a matter of hours.
“It’s definitely a concern for our officers, because they are out here doing their job and then you hear gunshots. It’s definitely a concern. But for tonight, we already have our crime suppression teams. We are going to increase our police presence in this area, especially if you have a lot of neighbors. They are out watching,” Bashir said.
HPD said they do not believe the two shootings are related and have not determined what the motives might be or who the suspects are. The identification of victims are being withheld until the families are notified.
If you have any information about these cases, you are urged to contact HPD’s Homicide Division at (713) 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.