Five Masked Gunmen Ambush Man in Southeast Houston Garage, Fire More Than 20 Shots

A 29-year-old man is expected to survive after five masked suspects ambushed him inside his own garage in southeast Houston early Wednesday, opening fire in a gunfight that police say involved more than 20 rounds.

The shooting happened around midnight in the 9900 block of Tiltree Street. Houston police said the man was sitting inside his open garage with his 22-year-old girlfriend, having drinks, when five people wearing masks walked up to the property.

"We've got one victim, a 29-year-old male. He's been shot in the neck and the arm and in the side," Houston Police Lt. R. Wilkens said. Houston Fire Department paramedics took him to the hospital in critical condition. Investigators said they expect him to survive. His girlfriend was not hurt.

According to Wilkens, the group walked along the side of the yard before cutting toward the front of the house and stepping into the garage. The first person through the door was carrying what Wilkens described as a short-barreled rifle and began yelling at the 29-year-old.

That's when the girlfriend ran into the house, locked herself in another room and hid, unsure of what was about to happen, police said.

The other four suspects followed the armed man into the garage, and a fight broke out. Police believe at least 20 shots were fired during the confrontation. Officers recovered two firearms and numerous shell casings at the scene afterward.

Investigators have not yet sorted out who fired which weapon, and Wilkens said police haven't determined whether the victim himself fired a gun during the struggle. Because paramedics rushed him to the hospital so quickly, detectives haven't been able to get a detailed account from him about what happened once the suspects entered the garage.

All five suspects ran from the property on foot once the shooting stopped. When the gunfire ended and the group was gone, the girlfriend came out of the room where she'd been hiding and found her boyfriend shot.

"When the shooting was done and the individuals took off running on foot, that's when the female came out of the house hiding and found her boyfriend shot up," Wilkens said.

She called police for help. Neighbors who heard the gunfire came outside and tried to assist before fire department crews arrived, according to Houston police.

Investigators are still trying to figure out why five masked people showed up at the house in the first place. Wilkens said police haven't determined whether the confrontation was an attempted robbery or whether the suspects knew the victim and came looking for him specifically.

"We don't know if it was a robbery or if it was some type of retaliation and they knew this guy," Wilkens said. "That's what we're trying to figure out."

No arrests have been made. Police have not released descriptions of the five suspects beyond noting they wore masks and that at least one carried a short-barreled rifle. The two firearms recovered at the scene are being processed as investigators try to match them to the shell casings found in and around the garage.

Houston police are asking anyone with information about the shooting or the identities of the suspects to contact HPD's homicide division or Crime Stoppers.