Doorway Dispute at Northwest Houston Motel Leaves One Dead, One Wounded

A fight over a blocked motel room doorway turned fatal around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Scottish Inn in the 3300 block of Antoine Drive, after a man sitting on the ground refused repeated requests to move.

The tenant of the rented room, described by police as an elderly man, sought help from several long-term residents who knew one another. As many as six people gathered near the doorway during the encounter, according to Houston police. At some point the man stood up, appeared agitated, walked a short distance away, and then pulled a pistol, turning back toward the group and firing several shots.

"The whole beef started with him blocking a doorway and him not wanting to move, and people were just trying to get him to leave, and he would not get up and leave. When he got agitated, he got up and just started shooting at everybody," HPD Lt. R. Willkens said.

One man was struck and died at the scene. His identity has been confirmed but is not being released publicly, police said. Investigators do not believe he knew the suspect. According to HPD, the victim was a man in his 60s. A second man, in his mid-30s, was also shot and is expected to be OK. That victim was shot in the buttocks, left the Scottish Inn in a private vehicle, and later arrived at a hospital on his own.

When the suspect opened fire on the group, one person in the crowd shot back. Police are still trying to track that person down and speak with them about what happened. The firearm used in the shooting was a pistol, though detectives have not yet identified the caliber.

The arrest came quickly. While officers processed the homicide scene, patrol units circulated a photo taken from surveillance footage showing the suspect's distinctive clothing, and a pair of Northwest Patrol officers spotted a man matching the description near Hammerly Boulevard and Hollister Street. Patrol officers had spotted him outside a convenience store near that intersection not long after the shooting. When officers approached, the man ran into an apartment complex. Police set up a perimeter, and K-9 units located and arrested him without further incident. He was taken to police headquarters for questioning.

Information about the incident was provided by HPD Lieutenant Willkens at the scene. No charges had been formally announced as of Wednesday morning, and the suspect's name had not been released.

Detectives are still working to locate the person who returned fire to determine whether that individual knew the gunman and what role, if any, he played in the confrontation. Anyone with information about the shooting can contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).