Two people were shot, one critically, when gunfire broke out at a Halloween block party in west Houston on Saturday night, and police say the victims may have been caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between two separate groups. Officers received multiple calls around 10:40 p.m. reporting a shooting in the 9200 block of Richmond Avenue, and the investigation remains active with no suspects publicly identified.
According to Click2Houston, officers with the Houston Police Department’s Midwest Patrol Division responded to the area and began investigating. A few minutes after police were notified, two separate vehicles arrived at a nearby hospital, each carrying a person who had been shot, the outlet reported.
Victims Caught Between Two Groups, Police Say
Preliminary information indicated that the two victims may have been caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between two different groups, per the same account. One victim is listed in stable condition, while the second victim is in critical condition and was transported to the hospital by medical helicopter, the report states.
Two witnesses who spoke with the outlet said a block party was taking place in the area when the gunfire erupted. One witness estimated that about 100 people had attended the gathering, and said people began running when two men started shooting at each other. That same witness was wearing what appeared to be a Halloween mask at the time, the article notes.
No Suspect Descriptions Released
Police have not released descriptions of the suspects or the two groups believed to have been involved, and the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the Houston Police Department.
Part of a Violent Holiday Weekend Nationwide
The Richmond Avenue shooting came amid a broader wave of Halloween-weekend violence reported across the country. Halloween violence left at least 24 people dead and 94 wounded nationwide, according to The New York Times, with shootings reported at nightclubs, costume stores, outside stadiums and near college campuses from California to Delaware.
In Texas alone, two other incidents unfolded the same weekend. Seven people were hospitalized after a shooting at a birthday party near Edinburg, reported around 11:45 p.m. Saturday near FM 2812 and Sunflower Road, according to KRGV, which said the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office determined the victims’ gunshot wounds were non-life-threatening. In Dallas’s Deep Ellum neighborhood, three shootings early on Nov. 1 left at least four people dead and 15 injured, per the Times.
