HOUSTON — Three people, including the suspected gunman, are dead and two others are recovering from injuries after gunfire erupted at a Houston motel, authorities said.
Following the shootout, police discovered the suspect and two people – a Hispanic man and woman of “unknown age” – dead on the balcony, Slinkard said. Two other people who had been in the parking lot suffered injuries; one was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, while the other was treated at the scene, Slinkard said.
In a news conference early Monday, Houston police Executive Chief Matt Slinkard said the incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday at the Palace Inn motel on Antoine Drive. Police responded to the scene after receiving a call from a man believed to be the gunman, who indicated that he had weapons and could potentially shoot others, including officers, Slinkard said.
When police arrived, the suspect, described as an African American man in his mid 30s, immediately began firing at officers from a second-floor balcony, Slinkard said. Three officers returned fire, and eventually, the gunman was either shot and killed by police or died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Slinkard added.
The shooting does not appear to be a domestic violence incident, and police do not believe the suspect knew the victims, according to Slinkard.
No officers were injured in the shootout, Slinkard said.