A chaotic incident in Houston's Alief neighborhood yesterday led to a driver being shot and subsequently crashing an SUV into an apartment complex. According to KHOU, the Houston Police Department reported that the driver, after being shot, lost control of the vehicle, smashing through a fence, and colliding into the Ashford Court Apartment Complex.
The victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, was rushed to a hospital and remains in critical condition. In a statement obtained by KHOU, witness Ebunoluwa Akinola, described hearing about five gunshots followed by some kind of altercation before the crash. Akinola, being at the scene recording a video about security issues within the complex, found himself amidst the turmoil, capturing the aftershock of the violence that had just unfolded. "Look, I got to say something – this youngster just got shot in the back of the head. I was the first to witness it," Akinola said. He added, "They wanted me to pull him out, I couldn't pull him out. His brothers were there, they were screaming, and I was trying to calm them down."
Akinola also brought attention to the gaping holes in the apartment complex fence, which he believes provide an entry point for criminals leading to the residents' ongoing harassment. "We've had women been raped over there, people robbed over there. About the time I walk through this hole, just to show how easy it is to get hurt, this is what I saw," Akinola told KHOU.
The Houston Police Department has identified two separate crime scenes: one where the shots were fired and the other where the SUV breached the fence, disturbing the back of an apartment unit. "The complainant, initially [was] trying to drive out the other gate, it wasn’t working, so they did a U-turn. When they passed the suspect, that’s when the suspect shot down there," HPD Detective Emmanuel Perez said, detailing the suspect's actions, who then fled the scene on foot, as noted by KHOU. A male suspect is at large, and authorities are seeking information from the public regarding his whereabouts. In another report, FOX26 Houston confirmed a person was hospitalized after the shooting and the subsequent crash, with the HPD Major Assaults Division leading the investigation.
Rattled by the violence, Akinola is calling for an end to the bloodshed and emphasizes the need for increased safety for the residents. "I need to leave, I need to move, I need someone to help us with this situation because...these youngsters shouldn't be shooting each other," Akinola said during the KHOU interview.
