According to police the victim was walking on Antoine in front of the Casa Rosa apartments at about 1:45am Tuesday. His cousin, who didn't want to be identified, says the victim had just left a family gathering.
"He made us laugh," the cousin said. "We did a lot of stuff with him. And for people to hurt him, that's not right."
Family members identify the victim as a 27-year-old father who moved here recently from Louisiana. They say he was a man who looked forward to what the New Year would bring.
"It's hard because he's gone now, and the New Year is not even here yet," the cousin said.
Eyewitnesses say they heard the gunfire. A woman who asked us not to identify her says she immediately knew something bad was happening.
"The kids immediately got down," she said. "We looked outside, didn't see anything."
Only later did those at the complex come to find out what happened. A neighbor who lives near the rear of the complex heard a commotion right outside her door. She went out and saw the victim on the ground.
"He was breathing at first," she said. "There were people down there doing chest compressions on him."
Police say the victim stumbled from Antoine all the way to the back of the complex before collapsing. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. At this point investigators can't say what might have motivated the attack -- if the victim was targeted or if this was a random act.
There are several surveillance cameras located around the property. Detectives hope one of them might have caught images of the shooter or shooters. The victim's family begs for information on his killer.
"It's hard because I really miss him already," a relative said. "We'd be laughing and joking. It's hard."
Police say eyewitnesses report seeing a yellow or orange truck leaving the scene, but at this point that's the only information they have on a potential suspect vehicle.
Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
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