Harris County deputy wounded in predawn drive-by shooting at home

A Harris County sheriff’s deputy was shot while asleep in his bed in north Houston, turning a quiet stretch near Burress Street and Bauman Road into the latest scene of predawn violence. Houston police said officers found the deputy lying in bed with a gunshot wound to the abdomen at a home in the 200 block of Burress Street around 1:00 a.m. to 1:06 a.m. Sunday, April 26. Family members, including two children, were inside the house, but no one else was hurt.

The deputy, a 40-year-old, three-year veteran assigned to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, was rushed by Houston Fire EMS to a nearby hospital. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said he underwent surgery and was recovering in fair condition. Investigators said the shooting appeared to be a random act of violence, but they had not determined a motive and had not released a suspect description or a vehicle description.

Houston police are leading the case, and detectives were still trying to reconstruct how the gunfire reached the home and where it came from. With no immediate suspect information, investigators were relying on tips, neighborhood cameras and physical evidence from the scene. Harris County Sheriff’s Office officials also directed anyone with information to Crime Stoppers of Houston, which accepts anonymous tips by phone at 713-222-TIPS, online or through its mobile app. Crime Stoppers says only tips submitted directly to the organization are eligible for a cash reward, which can be as much as $5,000.

The shooting carries added weight because it happened at the home of one of the county’s own deputies, not while he was on duty. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says it is the largest sheriff’s office in Texas and the third-largest in the nation, with nearly 5,100 employees and 200 volunteer reservists serving more than 4.1 million residents across 1,788 square miles. The case also came after another off-duty HCSO deputy was accidentally shot in the hand by his 3-year-old nephew in north Harris County in January, underscoring how quickly off-duty situations can turn dangerous even away from patrol work.