A 33-year-old man is dead and a 37-year-old man remains hospitalized after a shooting erupted early Tuesday outside an unlicensed hookah lounge in the 6200 block of Binz-Engleman Road, and Bexar County Sheriff's deputies are now hunting a man described as armed and dangerous who fled the scene on foot. Deputies responded to the parking lot at about 5:52 a.m., after the venue had closed for the night but several groups of people remained outside.
According to KABB Fox San Antonio, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters at a press conference Saturday that two armed men broke away from the crowd outside the hookah lounge and opened fire. Authorities said a dispute over a woman may have triggered the gunfire, though that motive remains unconfirmed. The first victim, a 33-year-old man, was shot multiple times in the upper body, neck and head and died at the scene; his identity has not been released. The second victim, a 37-year-old man shot twice in the upper body, was found inside a car on the other side of the building and was taken to a hospital, where he remained in the ICU but was alert and talking as of the update.
Suspect Described as Armed, Last Seen Fleeing on Foot
Investigators are searching for a Black man believed to have dreadlocks, last seen dressed all in white and wearing a white bucket hat, per the report. The suspected shooter fled on foot and remains at large; authorities consider him armed and dangerous and have warned the public not to confront him if spotted, instead urging anyone who sees him to call 911. Deputies released a suspect photo on social media that was possibly captured by responding deputies' video or dash camera.
Investigators detained about six people at the scene and transported them downtown for questioning, the outlet reports. Authorities described the scene as chaotic, with people running in multiple directions as the shooting broke out. Someone live-streamed video as the victim lay dying, and authorities captured that footage; a young woman who had been live-streaming was also detained.
Video Shows Deceased Victim Was Handed a Gun
Per the same account, authorities said the video shows someone off camera handing the deceased victim a gun before he walked toward the area where he was later shot. Investigators said they do not yet know whether that victim fired any shots. Authorities believe the second victim, the man found inside the car, was unarmed. No weapons were recovered at the scene, and authorities believe someone may have removed evidence, most likely weapons and other items, before deputies arrived.
Investigators also received a call about a gun found in a yard roughly a mile and a half from the shooting scene. Authorities said the yard gun may be connected because it was found in the direction the suspect may have fled, though they cautioned it may or may not be related to the shooting. Investigators have asked residents east of the scene, including along Binz-Engleman Road, to watch for possible evidence in their yards.
A Familiar Address for Violence on Binz-Engleman Road
This is not the first time the same stretch of Binz-Engleman Road has drawn a heavy law enforcement response. According to KENS 5, two women were treated for gunshot wounds after an early Saturday morning shooting in the parking lot of a hookah lounge in the same 6200 block, in an incident that involved conflicting witness reports before police confirmed blood evidence in the parking lot. Gunmen also shot at a car, with no injuries.
The block has seen other violence beyond the hookah lounge itself. KSAT reported that two men were hospitalized with gunshot wounds following a gang-related shootout inside and outside a gas station on the same 6200 block of Binz-Engleman Road in November 2025, with suspects facing felony charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Just weeks before Tuesday's shooting, deputies searched for an armed suspect who fled after multiple gunshots damaged several vehicles in the nearby 6000 block of Candle Meadow, KENS 5 reported on September 25, releasing photos in hopes the public could help identify him.
Sheriff Points to Legal Options for Shutting Down the Property
Authorities described the gathering place as a vacant-looking, nondescript storefront squeezed between a convenience store and other businesses, and said it has been associated with repeated calls for service and several shootings over at least the past year. Sheriff Salazar said authorities are now looking into legal avenues to address the ongoing problems at the location. That framing points toward Chapter 125 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, which allows local prosecutors or city and county officials to file civil lawsuits declaring a business a common nuisance, potentially resulting in a court order shutting a venue down for up to a year if habitual illegal activity can be proven.
Such civil enforcement has precedent in Bexar County. Back in 2012, the Bexar County District Attorney's Office filed misdemeanor public nuisance charges against property owners in unincorporated northeast Bexar County neighborhoods to force cleanups and address property conditions, according to MySA. Whether formal nuisance proceedings have been initiated against the owner of the Binz-Engleman property remains unclear.
A Corridor Already Under Scrutiny
The surrounding stretch of Binz-Engleman Road has drawn other recent headlines unrelated to the hookah lounge. In February, KENS 5 reported that deputies arrested a driver going 75 mph who ran a red light at Woodlake Parkway and Binz-Engleman Road, causing a multi-vehicle crash that resulted in the death of an unborn baby, with the driver facing aggravated assault charges pending toxicology results. Hoodline also reported on a violent traffic stop in late September, when a Converse police officer was injured on the 8800 block of Binz-Engleman Road after a suspect resisting arrest rolled a vehicle over the officer's foot; that driver was booked into Bexar County Jail on multiple felony charges.
Authorities expect to release additional information on Tuesday's shooting as it becomes available. Anyone with information is asked to call the Bexar County Sheriff's Office at 210-335-6000, email [email protected], or submit a tip through the agency's app.
