A man was fatally shot late Sunday night on Smith Street, and the case is set to go before a Harris County grand jury, Houston police said. The shooting occurred around 10 p.m. near a restaurant at 2000 Smith Street, where the suspect was pronounced dead after being transported to Ben Taub General Hospital, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The shooter, a 21-year-old male, reported the incident himself to the authorities and was not injured during the confrontation. According to the City of Houston's official news release, the ongoing investigation by HPD Homicide Division Detectives G. Zavala and S. Overstreet highlighted that the shooter was allegedly followed by the deceased after leaving a restaurant. The deceased appeared to be carrying an ice pick and reportedly lunged at the shooter, who then, fearing a robbery, fired his weapon in what he claimed was self-defense.
Officers quickly arrived at a nearby location where the shooter had called 9-1-1 post-incident. He was detained, and the gun used in the shooting was recovered at the scene. The identity of the deceased male is currently awaiting verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has since been involved and they have decided to present the case to a grand jury to review the circumstances and determine the legal justification of the shooting.
