Man fatally shot outside NW Houston parole office

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A deadly ambush happened right out in the open, in a busy parking lot between a northwest Houston parole office and other businesses, just after doors opened, where everyone could see.

Just moments before the shooting, eyewitnesses outside the busy parole office on West 34th Street saw a man crouching in the bushes.

Eyewitness Horace Smith said, "I thought something was kind of suspicious about that. Ain't nobody supposed to be squatting my them bushes."

Seconds later, gunfire.

"Sounded like a rain of fire," said eyewitness Adam Navarro. "The first five shots nonstop - boom, boom, boom, boom, boom."

Folks say they heard two rounds of gunfire, with as many as five shots each as the victim exited the parole office. Only once things calmed down did they discover the victim, sitting in his truck.

Eyewitness T. Williams said, "I saw the dude slouched back in his seat, two bullet wounds."

You could see more than just two bullet holes in that truck. Eyewitnesses called 911 but the victim died in the parking lot.

"I think it's something personal," said eyewitness Nicole Jones.

Police say it's clear the victim was targeted for reasons they can't yet explain.

Houston Police Sgt. Thaddeus Pool said, "It does appear to be strange, especially with the location being a parole office."

Investigators have not identified the victim yet but they say he was on parole for aggravated robbery and murder. It's not clear if his death was retribution for that or was motivated by something else. Witnesses reported seeing the shooter jump into a white sedan and take off.

Several eyewitnesses have described that white sedan as a Ford Taurus. The suspect description is vague -- a man dressed in all black, about 5'7" to 5'8" with a medium build. He was said to be wearing a black button up shirt and shorts with a hat and carrying a black backpack.