HOUSTON — Houston police are trying to track down a suspect accused of killing two teens during a shootout in the Alief area Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, there was a growing memorial to the young victims near where the shooting happened just before 7 p.m. on Cook Road near Beechnut Street in southwest Houston.
A total of three people, including a suspect, were shot and killed during the disturbance at the Tierra del Sol apartments, HPD Assistant Chief Alvaro Guzman said at a news conference. He said the disturbance led to a shootout at a laundromat used by residents at the complex.
"I thought it was fireworks at first but it was gunshots. I heard like 12 shots," resident Joseph Gant told us.
According to Guzman, the victims, both 17, were inside the laundromat when they got into an argument and then a shootout with two other males. They died at the scene.
Police found the third shooting victim, also believed to be a juvenile, outside the laundromat. He was rushed to an area hospital but didn't survive.
"A very tragic event here. We have family that's here. We have young lives that have been lost," Guzman said. "Please keep the families in your thoughts and prayers."
Those family members were still in shock on Wednesday and too scared to speak on camera since the killer is still on the loose.
Police are searching for a suspect believed to be in his late teens or early 20s. No other description was available.
"Just ridiculous, kids don’t have no respect for nobody now," Gant said.
One weapon was recovered from inside the laundromat.
Anyone with information is asked to call the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477). You could be eligible for a $5,000 reward for tips that lead to an arrest.