Gunfire broke out early Sunday morning near a nightclub on Houston Avenue in Port Arthur, sending at least one person to the hospital and scattering spent bullet casings across the 700 block as officers worked to piece together what happened. Police blocked off the area around the club while investigators searched for witnesses and surveillance footage.
Port Arthur police received a call about the shooting around 3:30 a.m., according to police spokesperson J.T. Robertson, as reported by 12NewsNow. Officers blocked off an area near a nightclub but did not say whether the club was connected to the shooting. At least one person was taken to a hospital, and an emergency worker told the outlet the person was brought to CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth.
Police said one person was hurt with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Robertson.
Evidence Left Behind on Houston Avenue
Officers found spent bullet casings in the 700 block of Houston Avenue, and at least three vehicles were damaged, including an emergency vehicle, the outlet's report notes. Witnesses described people fleeing the scene as police arrived. Investigators have since interviewed witnesses and are asking anyone with surveillance video of the incident, or of people leaving the area, to contact the police department.
In the report describing a death, police said they are looking for two males believed to be from Port Arthur as possible suspects, though it remains unclear what led to the shooting, according to that same account. Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for anonymous tips, which can be submitted through 833-TIPS (8477) or the P3 Tips app.
A Familiar Address for Port Arthur Violence
The 600 block of Houston Avenue has seen deadly violence before. On Sept. 18, 2022, Port Arthur police responded to a report of shots fired outside the French Connection nightclub at the same address, according to KFDM. Two shooting victims were taken to CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth that night, and a 32-year-old woman died while the second victim was treated and released. Investigators later identified that victim as Shy'ne Levene Holden, 32, of Port Arthur, and witnesses said two gunmen had opened fire, KFDM reported.
A separate shooting at a Port Arthur nightclub led to the arrest of Herbert Carnell Mouton, 27, who was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, 12NewsNow reported. A probable cause affidavit in that case said two people were shot in the leg but were unwilling to press aggravated-assault charges.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Nightlife Violence
Port Arthur has faced clusters of shootings before. In a one-week stretch in 2024, five separate incidents left three people dead and four injured across the city, according to the Port Arthur News. The police chief said at the time that investigators had not found a connection between the shootings and that each had occurred in a different part of town.
That same week, officers responding to a shooting at the Opulence Lounge found two men with gunshot wounds to the legs, and neither wanted to pursue legal action, the Port Arthur News reported. In another incident that week, a man was shot in the leg at the Avery Trace apartment complex even though he was not a resident there, the outlet noted. As of Sunday, the circumstances behind the latest Houston Avenue shooting remained unresolved, with conflicting reports on how many people were hurt and whether anyone died.
