A man was shot to death on the front porch of a Spring Branch apartment Wednesday night, and Houston police say they later found the masked suspect hiding in brush along a nearby bayou, nursing a broken ankle from a fence he apparently jumped while trying to escape officers.
Authorities responded to a shooting-in-progress call at the intersection of Blalock Road and Kempwood Drive just before 7:45 pm Wednesday, according to FOX 26 Houston. Officers arrived to find one man dead at the scene. Preliminary police information indicates the victim had been sitting on the front porch of an apartment when a masked suspect interacted with him, pulled out a pistol, and shot him at least once.
Houston police located the shooting near the intersection of Blalock Road and Colleen Road, according to KHOU. Officers set up a perimeter after the shooting and eventually located the suspect hiding in brush along a bayou, where he was detained with a broken ankle. Authorities believe he jumped a fence while trying to flee.
What Investigators Still Don't Know
Police have not released the victim's identity, and a description of the suspect remains unclear. The motive behind the shooting is also unknown, and the two men encountered each other on the porch. Houston police said there is no danger to the public following the incident.
This is not the first deadly shooting along this stretch of Spring Branch. Years earlier, in September 2021, HPD patrol officers and Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to a homicide at Blalock Road and Kempwood Road, where 40-year-old Gerardo Abadie was found unresponsive behind the wheel of a parked car. Paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced deceased, according to the City of Houston.
The Northwest Patrol Division covers more than 57 square miles of northwest Houston, according to the City of Houston.
A Citywide Drop in Homicides, but Local Hot Spots Persist
Wednesday's shooting comes even as Houston's overall homicide numbers have fallen sharply. The city recorded 95 homicides in the first half of 2026, a 38.3% decrease from the 154 homicides logged during the same period in 2025, according to data compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association and reported by Axios.
Charges Have Not Been Confirmed
If charged with murder, the suspect would face a first-degree felony under Texas Penal Code § 19.02, which carries a punishment range of 5 to 99 years or life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to Saputo Toufexis. Texas law defines murder as intentionally or knowingly causing a person's death.
Officers were headed to the hospital to question the suspect detained near the bayou.
