What started as a Friday night hangout at a Burger King parking lot in Houston’s Third Ward turned into a crime scene when gunfire sent two 16-year-olds to the hospital, according to police. Emergency crews rushed both teens from the 3700 block of Scott Street to a nearby hospital, where their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. Witnesses told officers a heated argument spun out of control in the lot, just steps from busy schools and university campuses.
Houston Police investigators said the shooting stemmed from an ongoing dispute involving three people who may attend the same school, according to ABC13 Houston. Officers in unmarked cars watched as a suspect took off from the scene and climbed aboard a METRO bus. They quietly followed the route, then moved in and arrested him after he got off. Lt. Larry Crowson told ABC13 that officers later discovered two weapons stashed in landscaping near the fast-food restaurant.
Where It Happened
The shooting unfolded along the 3700 block of Scott Street in the historic Third Ward, a neighborhood anchored by Jack Yates High School and surrounded by college life. Jack Yates sits at 3650 Alabama Street, per Yates High School, and Texas Southern University’s campus is just a short walk away, according to Texas Southern University. With major schools and busy transit lines crisscrossing the area, it is not surprising that HISD Police and METRO officers were among the agencies backing up HPD at the scene.
Police Response
Investigators said they recovered two firearms tucked into the Burger King landscaping, and that HISD PD, Metro PD and Precinct 7 constable’s deputies assisted HPD as the investigation continued, per ABC13 Houston. Authorities did not immediately release the suspect’s identity or clarify what charges he might face Friday night. Detectives asked anyone with video or information tied to the 3700 block of Scott Street to contact HPD.
Police have not released the names of the teens or others involved as the probe continues. Investigators are urging witnesses to come forward so they can reconstruct the argument that escalated into yet another shooting in a busy neighborhood corridor.
