At least 1 dead and 15 wounded in Houston shooting

By Ali Watkins

At least one person was killed and 15 others were wounded after gunfire erupted at a family barbecue in Houston early Sunday, police said.

Officers received calls about a shooting on Cherryhill Avenue, in the southeastern part of the city, just before 1 a.m., Assistant Chief Patricia Cantu of the Houston Police Department said at a news conference.

Officers arrived minutes later to find multiple victims. They were relocated to a nearby Jack in the Box restaurant to be assessed.

Police said Sunday night that an 18-year-old man was killed and at least 15 people were wounded and taken to various hospitals. Several of those hurt were in critical condition, Cantu said.

Those injured ranged in age from 16 to 40, police said. Their identities and conditions were not immediately available.

The shooting began when an “uninvited guest” arrived at the family gathering, Cantu said.

After being asked to leave, the uninvited person, a man, went to his car “and started shooting and gunfire was exchanged,” Jodi Silva, a police department spokesperson, said Sunday.

It was not clear if the man had the weapon on him or if he retrieved it.

It was too early in the investigation to say whether the gunman and the people attending the barbecue knew one another, Silva said, adding that a motive for the shooting remained unknown as of Sunday afternoon. Police had not yet apprehended a suspect.

“The scene ended up spreading over several blocks because of people running and fleeing,” Silva said.