Security guard speaks out after shooting at busy Houston intersection goes viral

Miya Shay Image
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Guard who allegedly fired gun during road rage argument speaks out
After a video of a road rage shooting went viral, the security guard recorded said: "I didn't shoot him, I was shooting at the tire."

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The security guard captured in a dramatic cellphone video firing his gun several times in a road rage incident told Eyewitness News it was all in self-defense.

In the video that has been shared across the internet, John Onyeri is seen arguing with the driver of a red truck. Then, as the truck begins to pull away, Onyeri fires several shots.

The incident happened at the intersection of Little York and Aldine Westfield around 3:45 p.m. Monday. A day later, we found him on the job as a security guard at a local grocery store.

"That's me, " Onyeri said when we showed him the cell phone video.

RELATED: Road rage argument erupts in gunfire at busy N. Houston intersection

Argument erupts in gunfire at busy N. Houston intersection

Onyeri says he was driving westbound on Little York when the red truck hit him from behind, tapping his Toyota. He says he got out to talk to the driver of the Ford truck, reaching inside to get insurance paper. That's when the situation escalated.

"I put my hand in there, and then he rolled the glass, I see the glass, and I say let my hand go," said Onyeri, who says he fired his security guard weapon to try to deflate the other driver's tires.

"On the tire, because he was running away," said Onyeri. "He was trying to get away, yes. I didn't shoot him, I was shooting at the tire."

Sol Uresti and his friend were driving one lane over and saw the two arguing. The two young men began capturing video on their cell phones, and that's when they saw the shots fired.

"I just told my friend, 'Hey we got to leave, we just got to leave because a bullet can come and hit us,'" said Uresti, who shared his video on Facebook and Instagram, where it was quickly shared hundreds of times.

Onyeri says in his eyes, he was just putting his security guard training into action.

"Well, it might be wrong. I don't know," he said. A few minutes later, Onyeri said he doesn't believe he did anything wrong.

Houston police are investigating the case. Onyeri, who said he called police after the incident, says he has not spoken to any investigators when we found him.