5 shot in housewarming party near Cinco Ranch

Courtney Fischer Image
Thursday, July 4, 2019
5 shot in housewarming party near Cinco Ranch
5 shot in housewarming party near Cinco Ranch

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- Deputies say a man murdered his sister, shot three other people, then killed himself at the sister's housewarming party near Cinco Ranch.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office identified the man as John Wright. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the hospital.

The shooting happened inside a red brick house on Everhart Manor Lane near Crestford Park Lane.

"We saw tons of police cars here," said Sanjeev Gupta, a neighbor who lives across the street.

During the shooting, authorities say a teenage girl locked herself in the bathroom. The teen's friend tells ABC13 Eyewitness News that the girl lives out of town and was visiting the daughter of the woman killed. A second teenage girl and woman ran from the house and were not hurt.

The three people who were shot and survived were friends. According to deputies, one woman was shot in the face, another woman was shot in the chest and the man was shot in the hand. All three were taken to the hospital and are expected to fully recover.

Smita Limaye and her husband, Parag Kanade, live in the house behind the home where the shooting happened.

"I heard a noise, got up, opened the blinds," Kanade said. "I could see yelling, could hear yelling."

The couple says they saw several people in the backyard earlier in the night and it appeared they were having a good time.

"They were screeching and laughing away," Limaye said. "A lot of noise."

"The woman who was shot to death, Julianna Carr, had apparently just moved into the house on July 1," said Sheriff Troy Nehls.

Several neighbors told Eyewitness News that they didn't think to call 911 because they initially believed the gunshots were fireworks.

"It's shocking," said Kanade. "Our neighborhood is very secure. It's a family neighborhood." He added, "We are not as immune as we thought."

Follow Courtney Fischer on Facebook and Twitter.

Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.