Family of victim in Katy rental home shooting pleads for answers amid new video: 'Come forward'

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- The sister of a man killed alongside his girlfriend during a chaotic shooting in Katy is sharing his story.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said this happened during a birthday party at a short-term rental on Russet Leaf Trace. In total, three people were shot, according to investigators.

On Tuesday, the sheriff's office said they were interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance video.

A neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous provided only ABC13 with the video her camera had caught that night. It's unclear who, but someone tied to the shooting appears to be running for their lives.

A person can be heard saying, "Keep running. They are still shooting."

The time stamp shows the person runs out of view at about 2:13 a.m. Not too long after, a car flies by. A different camera on the same house then picks up what sounds like rapid gunfire, and then another car flies by.

The shooting started at the short-term rental during a party, according to investigators. Lauren Welch said her brother Nicholas King and his girlfriend Ellesha Rice went together.

She said by morning, the family got word of a triple homicide at the same address. The family rushed to the scene, and their grief unfolded in front of our cameras.

"I looked over, and I saw his car, and shortly thereafter, the deputy on the scene delivered the news and confirmed that they were inside. You can never describe that moment," Welch said.

Welch, her sister, and her mother watched as they pulled King and Rice out of the home.

"All I could think of like that was my brother. I could see the different compositions of their body," Welch said. "And we couldn't cross the caution tape, and I was just like, 'That's my baby.'"

Welch says this is the second brother she lost. She says her 18-year-old brother, Kobe, died in a car accident in August 2021.

According to the medical examiner, Michael Obodo was also shot and killed, and allegedly, the birthday party was for him.

The report says King and his girlfriend died together in the kitchen of the home.

"I know that he wouldn't have wanted to live without her. When I think about other scenarios where one could have made it and the other didn't, I don't think they could have made it through that," Welch said.

Welch said she and Rice were like sisters and had recently made plans to go to the Houston Rodeo together.

"We had melded families, and we were ready to grow together, and that was just ripped away from us," Welch said.

According to Welch, Rice was headed to law school, and King, a corrections officer, was preparing to propose.

"I want to know what happened, you know? I have seen little bits of Ring camera videos and what have you, and that's not enough," Welch said. "There were multiple people there that know what happened and know more, and I just hope they come forward."

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