Video shown ONLY ON 13 captures burglars before deadly shootout with homeowner

The shooting was one of 17 that unfolded during the same weekend in Houston. The city insists, though, that violent crime is down.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Houston Mid-West homeowner wears scars after shootout with burglars

A homeowner is wearing the scars he sustained after fighting off two burglars. He tells ABC13 he shot one of them while the other ran off. The shooting was one of 17 from the weekend in Houston.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A homeowner in a west Houston neighborhood is recovering from a deadly shootout with thieves whom he caught stealing from his garage. Police said he defended himself and shot and killed one of the suspects.

The homeowner fears for his safety and wants to stay anonymous, but he showed ABC13 where the bullet went through his thigh, as well as the scrapes and bruises covering his body from where he fell.

At about 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, he got an alert on his Ring camera and saw two men with backpacks walking into his garage. Shortly after, they are seen walking away with a box filled with his tools.

The homeowner told ABC13 he grabbed his gun and confronted the thieves. According to police, the 60-year-old homeowner was shot in the leg. He fired back several times and killed one of the burglars. The other, who was injured, managed to run off through a broken fence within the gated community.

ORIGINAL STORY: Suspected car burglar dies after shootout in west Houston, HPD says

While recounting what happened, the homeowner, with tears in his eyes, told ABC13 he didn't intend to kill anyone but was forced to protect himself and his property.

The encounter was one of several shootings during a violent weekend in Houston. From Friday through Sunday, Eyewitness News reported 17 separate shootings, with at least nine deaths and 17 injuries.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner spoke at one of the shooting scenes, saying while it was a busy weekend, crime is down.

According to the ABC13 Neighborhood Safety Tracker, the violent crime rate is down in 90 of our 111 police beats over the last 12 months, compared to the four-year average. It's also down by more than 10% in 45 police beats.

Burglaries and robberies are also down, according to ABC13 data. The city has averaged 276 burglaries a week over the last 12 months. In 2019, that number was 325 a week. When it comes to robberies, the city has averaged 132 a week over the last 12 months. In 2019, that number was 177 a week.

As officials tout a decrease in crime, residents in the injured homeowner's gated community remain skeptical, especially as one of their neighbors recovers from a bullet wound.

"It's not true. You hear gunshots all the time," neighbor Scott Morgan said. "We have a Ring camera. It goes off all the time. 'Did you hear the gunshots over here?' 'Over there?'"

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