Man evicted from a Houston apartment shot five neighbors, killing three
HOUSTON – On Sunday morning, a man who had been evicted from an apartment building in Houston is said to have opened fire on five other residents, killing three of them after lighting the place on fire in an attempt to lure them out. The suspect was shot and killed by law enforcement.
The incident occurred at 1 a.m. on Sunday in a southwest Houston area that is both industrial and residential. According to Police Chief Troy Finner, both police and fire crews rushed to the apartment building after receiving reports of a fire.
According to Finner, the assailant opened fire on the other occupants of the home as they exited the residence. The weapon used was most likely a shotgun. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third victim died at a hospital. Two more victims were also transported to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Finner said that the man then started shooting as the firemen were fighting the fire, which forced them to seek shelter until the police officers spotted the shooter and shot him to death.
The identities of the parties involved in this incident have not been disclosed. No injuries were recorded among the police officers and the fire crew.
“I’ve seen things I have not seen before in 32 years, and it has happened time and time again,” Finner said. “We just ask that the community come together.”
According to neighbors, the shooter suffered from colon cancer, had fallen behind on his rent payments, was unemployed, and had recently received notice that he was about to be evicted.
