Man says cousin died in his arms after stray bullet hit his loved one outside SW Houston hookah bar

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 34-year-old woman who was hit by a stray bullet and killed has been identified by her family as Ruthie McNeese. Houston police are searching for the suspects who opened fire outside Vegas Hookah Bar and Grill on Sunday morning.

McNeese's family, who spoke only to ABC13, said it was supposed to be a night out with her cousin, Reginald Fontenot, and niece, Elantra Downey. They decided to leave when a fight between a group of men inside the venue broke out. The Houston Police Department said the men were kicked out by security, but their conflict escalated to a shooting in the parking lot.

At the time, Downey said she and McNeese were waiting nearby for Fontenot to retrieve the car. Downey told ABC13 that she tried to save McNeese when she heard the gunfire before ducking for cover and crawling to safety.

"I pushed her down to get her out of the way. I'm thinking I pushed Ruthie too hard because I saw her just laying there," Downey said.

Fontenot said he ran to McNeese's side, and she died in his arms.

"I went to grab my kinfolk off the ground, and I saw blood on my hands. I grab her head to get her face-to-face with me. I tried to get her to lock eyes with me. I saw the bullet hole on the other side of her head. She took one more breath, and I just held her until they pulled me off of her," Fontenot said.

RELATED: Fight at SW Houston hookah bar leads to gunfire, causing woman to be killed by stray bullet: HPD

A man involved in the fight was also shot, but HPD said he will survive after undergoing surgery at the hospital. Investigators have not made any arrests in the case.

Meanwhile, McNeese's family is not only mourning a senseless loss, but coming together to make sure that her 15-year-old son, whom she leaves behind, will be taken care of.

"She was taken away from me when she was just trying to have fun. She worked hard, and she just wanted to have fun for one day. I can't hear her voice anymore, and it's hurting me. But I have to be strong. Losing your mother is losing half of your heart, half of your life," Brandon McNeese Johnson, the victim's son, said.

McNeese's family wants her to be remembered for all of the positive memories she brought to other people's lives.

"She was very bubbly, a big ball of fun. She was the life of the party. Every room that she walked into was her room. 'Hey y'all!' There wasn't a negative or aggressive bone in her body," Downey said.

"She was a caring, nurturing person. She would do anything for anybody," Fontenot said.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been created to benefit McNeese's son. Her family will be holding a balloon release in her honor at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Sunflower Park.

If you know anything about this case, authorities urge you to contact the Houston Police Department's Homicide Division at (713) 308-3600.

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