A grand jury is set to deliberate on the fate of a bystander who shot and killed a man accused of robbing patrons at a Houston gas station. The fatal incident unfolded in the early hours of Saturday in northwest Houston, where the suspect reportedly pistol-whipped a man and demanded his wallet before being gunned down by another person present at the scene.
According to the Houston Chronicle, police arrived at 11095 Ella Blvd around 12:35 a.m. to find the alleged robber unresponsive with a gunshot wound. He was transported to HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest where he was pronounced dead. A grand jury will now review the shooting to determine the appropriate course of action regarding the bystander's involvement. The identity of the deceased man is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The shooter, who initially fled the scene, later made contact with Houston Police Department detectives and provided a statement before being released, as detailed by a news release from the department. During the incident, the robber had approached a man and his girlfriend while they were fueling up their car, resulting in a violent confrontation that ended with the robbery suspect being shot at least two times by the armed bystander.
Additional details from Click2Houston reveal that surveillance video captured the moment of the shooting and showed the bystander speaking to the robbery victim before leaving the scene. “The guy that did the shooting told the individual that was being robbed, he said, ‘hey, go ahead and get your stuff.’ Then, he left. So, the guy that did the shooting is not here anymore. He left. We’re going to try to locate him,” HPD Lt. Willkens told Click2Houston. The actions of the bystander, who evidently took a stand against the act of robbery, will now be scrupulously examined by legal authorities to discern legality and intention behind the fatal shooting.
