At least one person was killed when 14 people were shot early Sunday during a party at a Houston home, where police said gunfire erupted after an unwanted guest was asked to leave.
Around 12:50 a.m., the Houston Police Department began receiving reports of shots fired at a home in southeast Houston, said Assistant Police Chief Patricia Cantu during a news briefing.
Officers arrived minutes later and reported hearing gunshots, Cantu said. They saw several people injured in the area outside the house.
According to Cantu, a family party was taking place, and an uninvited guest was asked to leave the house. She believes that person began shooting, prompting others to draw their guns and return fire.
Officers were seen on video outside the home, where folding chairs and tables had been set up beneath a carport, as well as a party tent. At least two tables had been overturned. Others carried water bottles and slices of cake.
The Houston Fire Department responded by treating victims in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant. Cantu confirmed that at least one person had died, and that several others were in critical condition and undergoing surgery. She stated that some victims drove themselves to local hospitals.
“It’s still very complicated,” Cantu told journalists. “It was chaotic from the get-go.”
Police detained several people, but it was unclear whether they had the shooting suspect in custody as the investigation continued Sunday morning, Cantu said.
