Houston police are investigating a deadly shooting after a man was found gravely wounded Sunday night in the parking lot of a strip shopping center near the North Beltway and Imperial Valley. A security guard told officers he heard a volley of gunfire, ran toward the rear lot, and discovered the victim on the ground. Paramedics rushed the man to a nearby hospital, where he died a few hours later. HPD's Homicide Division has since taken over, with detectives canvassing the center for witnesses and surveillance video.
What police say
According to CW39 Houston, the security guard reported hearing shots coming from the front parking area before finding the wounded man in the back lot. The outlet says the victim had been hit multiple times and was taken to an area hospital, where he later died. As of Monday, HPD told the station that no suspect had been identified, and detectives were speaking with employees and nearby residents to piece together what happened.
Investigators seek tips
The Houston Police Department is asking anyone with information to call its Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS, according to the Houston Police Department. Detectives said they plan to pull surveillance footage from businesses in the strip center and knock on doors at nearby apartments as part of the investigation. Drivers with dash-cam recordings and anyone who captured phone video in the area Sunday night are also being urged to contact investigators.
Local context
The strip center sits in the Greenspoint/Imperial Valley area, where police have repeatedly stepped up patrols in response to unsanctioned car meets and large parking-lot gatherings. Earlier this month, the Houston Chronicle reported on a shooting at an unauthorized car meet at the shuttered Greenspoint Mall that left a teenager dead. Police told the paper they are regularly sent to lots across north Houston to break up sizeable crowds. Business owners and residents say that with illegal meet-ups and recurring violence in the mix, cooperation from witnesses and clear surveillance video often make the difference in solving these cases.
So far, HPD has not released a suspect description and no arrests have been announced. Detectives say the investigation is active and that they will share more details as they become available. Anyone with information is urged to call the homicide tip line or Crime Stoppers.
