Parking Attendant Shot in Leg During Dispute Near NRG Stadium

A man working an unofficial rodeo parking lot on Hearth Road off Westridge Street was shot in the leg just before 9 p.m. Tuesday after an argument over parking access escalated into gunfire, Houston police said. The suspected shooter drove away in a black Cadillac Escalade with two female passengers and has not been identified.

The victim, a man in his mid-40s, was collecting money at an apartment complex lot in the 8400 block of Hearth Road near NRG Park when a black Cadillac Escalade pulled in with a male driver and two female passengers. According to Lt. R. Willkens of the Houston Police Department, an argument broke out over whether the group could park in the lot. At some point during the dispute, the driver shot the attendant once in the leg, then sped away from the scene along with his two passengers.

"This unfortunately did happen, but the guy who was shot is going to be OK," Willkens said.

The victim was transported to a hospital and is expected to recover. No arrests have been made and investigators have not publicly identified the driver or the two women who were with him.

The lot where the shooting occurred was not affiliated with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. During rodeo season, some apartment complexes and businesses near NRG set up their own paid parking operations to capture overflow crowds attending nightly events. Rodeo officials have warned throughout the season that these unofficial lots carry risks, from scams to physical confrontations, and have encouraged visitors to use official Rodeo Houston parking, public transportation, or rideshare services instead.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Houston police.