Saturday night dinner at Chacho's Mexican Restaurant on the North Freeway took a violent turn when an angry customer opened fire outside, striking a woman in the parking lot, according to Houston police.
Witnesses said a bullet shattered a front window as emergency crews rushed in and customers scrambled for cover. The suspect sped off before officers arrived. The woman who was hit was taken to a hospital, where officials said she was in stable condition.
HPD Lt. Khan told ABC13 the trouble started inside the restaurant when a man was refused service. Instead of leaving it alone, he allegedly walked out to his car, grabbed a handgun, and fired toward the building. Investigators are still trying to figure out exactly why he was denied service, and HPD says the case is very much active.
Click2Houston reports the shooting call came in around 9:06 p.m. Saturday. The woman who was hit, an unrelated customer caught in the chaos, suffered a single gunshot wound before first responders got her to a nearby hospital, where she was listed in stable condition.
Police Lock Down Lot, Ask Witnesses To Step Up
FOX26 Houston reports officers quickly taped off the Chacho's parking lot and surrounding area as they searched for shell casings and talked to shaken customers. Police said there was no immediate description of the shooter.
Investigators are urging anyone who saw what happened or who has cellphone video to contact HPD's Major Assaults unit at 713-308-8800. Tipsters who want to stay anonymous can reach Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
Late-Night Trouble Not New For Chacho's
This Chacho's location and others in the area have seen their share of late-night violence. The Houston Chronicle reported a 2019 stabbing in the parking lot of the East Tidwell Chacho's. In a separate 2017 case, a gunman opened fire on police outside another Chacho's, an incident covered by Click2Houston. Those episodes have fueled ongoing calls for stepped-up patrols around 24-hour restaurants in north Houston.
Detectives are now reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses as they try to track down the gunman in Saturday's shooting, ABC13 reports. Police are again reminding residents not to confront armed suspects themselves and to pass any information straight to investigators.
