HOUSTON — There appears to be a big problem outside of HISD’s Sam Houston Math, Sciene and Technology Center where business owners, residents, and parents say illegal activities run rampant once school is dismissed.
Nearby surveillance cameras show several incidents of gunshots, drive-by shootings and mobs fighting. Although the incidents go back years, residents and business employees said things are getting worse.
“It’s just gotten crazy,” said one person who KHOU is not identifying for their safety. “I’ve had my windows shot out.”
Residents, parents and business employees said although there are issues throughout the day, the biggest issues start when the high school is dismissed and students leave campus.
“They hang out there behind the Family Dollar,” said a KHOU source. “They are at the corner. You see gambling, you see drug use, you even see drug sales."
Surveillance video also shows mobs fighting and what residents believe are students shooting guns.
“You have kids who open the carry," one person said. "They bring their weapons out of their car.”
KHOU 11 reached out HISD about the videos. A spokesperson said because this is happening off campus, it’s not the district’s jurisdiction and referred our inquiries to the Houston Police Department. Though on Wednesday, a patrol unit with HISD was parked nearby.
“They say it’s not their [HISD’s] problem because the kids are not on their campus,” said one frustrated resident. “But it is their problem because it’s their kids.”
HPD said police responded to reports of shootings in the vicinity on March 3 and March 6, however, there were no arrests. The department also said they were in communication with Harris County Precinct 1 and HISD police about the criminal activity in hopes of finding a solution.
Portable cameras were recently installed in the Family Dollar parking lot to catch any criminal activity.
Concerned citizens said the increased presence over the past few days seems to have calmed things down and they want to see even more of a presence and more consequences for this dangerous behavior.
“You see the same kids who’ve gotten arrested one day and then they are back out on the same corner the next day."