It happened in broad daylight Tuesday at Fort Bend Office Park off Ninth Street and Jackson.
The video above is ABC13's 24/7 Livestream.
For the past month, Teanna Gates and her husband, Rashad Gates, have been helping out at her aunt's business Health 1st Pharmacy, which recently opened. Tuesday started like any other, until a tall man wearing a safety vest, face covering, gloves, shades, and a hard hat walked in.
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"He came in and turned the water off like he was working on something, right? Left, and he came back with an AR-15 pointed at us, telling us to get down," Teanna Gates explained.
The suspect, who did not work for the city or any other utility company, then demanded cash. That's when 28-year-old Rashad Gates jumped into action, trying to save his aunt-in-law and wife.
"Threw himself on the guy, wrestling and tussling, trying to get the gun from him. He tells me to get out. My husband said, 'Run. Go.' So I run out and get help. And then, when I got help, we heard two shots, and I come back. When police arrived on the scene, my aunt... she's there. I don't see him," Teanna Gates tearfully continued.
The suspect took off in an unknown direction, and police could not find him. Teanna Gates not only lost her husband. She lost her source of income. She doesn't feel comfortable going back to work where Rashad Gates was killed. He loved his wife and 6 and 8-year-old boys, had his whole life ahead of him and had just graduated from HVAC school. Teanna Gates said she won't rest until the suspect is caught.
"He's gone, and then the lunatic that killed him is out. For $400. You took someone's husband, kids' dad, or a mother's son for $400. It (doesn't) make sense," she said.
On Wednesday, the pharmacy installed cameras, hired officers, and beefed up security. It's a tight-knit community, and they never imagined they would experience such senseless violence. If you recognize the suspect or know anything, please call Richmond Police Detective John Dawson at (281)342-2849.
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