A man has been taken into custody after a fatal overnight shooting in Houston. The victim, identified by family members as Lazette King, was found deceased from a gunshot wound in a southeast Houston apartment, as reported by KPRC 2.
According to information provided by the Houston Police Department (HPD), the initial ordeal began around 9 p.m., when officers responded to reports of a man shot in the leg at the same apartment complex on McHenry Street. That man managed to escape and contact the police. Then, approximately an hour later, a second, deadlier incident took place involving King. KHOU reports the two shootings seem to be unrelated, yet disturbingly, the suspect matched the same description in both events.
The suspect, Michael Ellis, who was also identified as King's boyfriend, sent photographs of King's body to her family, inciting immediate contact with the authorities. A tense search ensued, and HPD’s SWAT team later discovered King inside the apartment following her family's alert.
"He told her he was on his way to get her family next," so at that point, "That’s when we got in motion to get my parents out of their home because he knows where they live," Shatina Thompson, King's sister, told KHOU, reflecting the severity of the threat. Ellis's capture promptly happened around 3 a.m. near Willowbrook, bringing a close to the immediate danger.
Ellis is now being questioned by HPD as further details of the incident continue to unfold. Moreover, in a statement, HPD Officer Juan Diaz told KHOU, "Their safety is secure right now because he’s in custody." Police have indicated that the suspect may have mental health issues and could have been off his medication at the time of the incident.
For those in Houston facing domestic violence or know someone who is, resources and support are available through community initiatives aimed at assisting victims in breaking free from such dangerous circumstances.
