According to investigators, 20-year-old Milton Gamez was with his brother and sister, who is nine months pregnant, at the restaurant on Renwick at Bellaire Boulevard when the shooting happened.
The victim's brother-in-law, Mario Gonzales, arrived just moments after Gamez was rushed to an area hospital Saturday night.
"They were eating inside and some people started problems," Gonzales said.
Police said the argument was between two groups of people.
"They were calling them out outside, supposedly to fight," Gonzales said.
The argument boiled over into the parking lot.
"They were going to go outside to fight, but they didn't want to fight," Gonzales said. "They ran to some apartment. They ran back and started shooting."
Gamez's pregnant sister told us they all jumped in their SUV after the shooting. Gamez is the one who drove them all to safety. He stopped in front of a nearby pizza restaurant where an employee called police.
By the time police arrived at the shooting scene, the suspected shooter and his crew were long gone.
The Chinese buffet restaurant was shut down and patrons watched as officers blocked off the area to search for evidence.
Police said they have identified the shooter and are trying to make an arrest. The suspect's name has not been released.
We spoke to the victim's pastor. He said he was on the way to the hospital to see Gamez, who is expected to survive.
No other injuries were reported.
Find Foti on Facebook at ReporterFotiKallergis or on Twitter at @FotiKallergis
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