A house party at a Katy home being used as an Airbnb ended in gunfire early Sunday, leaving one man dead and another hospitalized.
Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies were called at 1:20 a.m. to a home on Audrey Manor Lane near North Fry Road, ABC13 reported. They found two adult men in their 20s with gunshot wounds after an altercation during the party.
What Investigators Believe
Investigators believe both men pulled out guns and shot each other. EMS pronounced one man dead at the scene. The other was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening.
The sheriff's office account stops there. It does not name either man, and it does not describe what started the dispute.
A 2022 shooting at a Katy short-term rental also injured three teenagers at a homecoming after-party, where Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said as many as 200 people had gathered. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said the victims, ages 17 and 18, were shot while trying to flee after a fight between two groups. The earlier case shows how parties at rental homes can draw crowds far beyond the booking party.
The shooting adds to a history of violence at Katy-area party rentals. In January 2024, gunfire at a short-term rental on Russet Leaf Trace killed three people and wounded at least two others; investigators said a fight preceded the shooting. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said about 10 to 20 young adults were at that party, underscoring that deadly incidents at rental-house gatherings have occurred in the area before.
Evidence, Then the District Attorney
Investigators were still collecting evidence and trying to find other witnesses. They plan to present that information to the District Attorney's office, which will decide whether the case goes to a grand jury.
Houston has since adopted a registration system for short-term rentals within city limits, requiring hosts to register and display a 24-hour emergency contact; the ordinance also bars listings from advertising rentals as event spaces. Registration applications began being accepted August 1, 2025, and enforcement began Jan. 1, 2026, the city’s Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department says. The rules do not automatically establish what requirements apply to this Katy address: the property’s jurisdiction matters because Houston’s ordinance covers rentals within the city, not every home in the metro area.
Anyone with information was urged to call the Harris County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers.
