Gunman shoots into Midtown convenience store, killing 1 and grazing another, police say
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- One person is dead after a fight inside a Midtown convenience store, which has been known as a crime hotspot in the city.
The Houston Police Department received a shooting call in the 2000 block of Fannin Street at 2:20 p.m. Police were told that someone shot into the Sunoco store, hitting one person and grazing another with a bullet.
Whoever opened fire took off on foot, police said.
The man who was hit was rushed to Ben Taub Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The second person was treated at the scene.
According to police, the shooting took place as part of an altercation between two people inside the store. The suspect went outside at some point and opened fire, shooting through the glass-door entrance and causing witnesses to scatter.
Police did not have a motive for what happened, but they were able to describe the suspect as a Black man in his mid-20s, standing about 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 7 inches, and with a slim build.
The suspect was last seen wearing all black clothing with a red backpack. Police added that the suspect is a frequent visitor of the store and known to people who work there.
"The crime level is going every day up by up by up," store owner Sami Fardeen said. "So, I'm just requesting city of Houston or city of Houston commissioners, try to help us."
"We have to pay our bills, we have to pay our rent, property taxes, everything," owner Azeem Noorani added. "As good businessmen, we pay everything on time. The problem is that nobody can help us."
Police urged anyone with information to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600.
Meanwhile, police clarified their presence down the way on Fannin near Elgin, where ABC13 was told about a possible suspect sighting. SkyEye flew over a shuttered nightclub where the suspect may have been barricaded.
However, a homicide sergeant confirmed the police response at that scene was not related to the shooting.
The homicide scene sits near the intersection of Fannin and Gray Street, which is a block away from the I-45 Gulf Freeway overpass and just near a Greyhound bus terminal.
In the last week, at least one previous shooting unfolded at a nearby gas station on Webster and San Jacinto.
Before Monday, ABC13's Neighborhood Safety Tracker counted three homicides in the Midtown area in the past 12 months. Data over the last four years also showed something remarkable. In 2019, no homicides were reported, but in 2021, a four-year peak of 11 were counted.
