FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – One person was killed after a shooting in the parking lot of the Shops at Bella Terra shopping center in the Richmond area, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.
The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. Friday near the Sushi Hana restaurant in the center at the 99 Grand Parkway, south of the Westpark Tollway.
Deputies said the victim, a man in his 20s, was shot. He then drove to the Buffalo Wild Wings in the center, went inside, told people he was hit, then collapsed.
He died after he was taken to Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital, according to deputies.
Sheriff Troy Nehls said he believes the shooting was the result of a drug deal, since deputies found a gun and drugs in the victim's car.
"There is a substantial amount of drugs inside the vehicle. There's a handgun inside the vehicle, and so I think this could be some type of narcotics transaction that obviously went bad. But you bring guns and drugs into the mix, you're dealing with fire," Nehls said.
There were more than a dozen shell casings in the parking lot, according to deputies.
Witnesses at Sushi Hana said they heard at least 10 gunshots.
"We were just sitting at the table and it sounded like black cats (firecrackers) were going off. We weren't sure what was going on, then people were quiet in the restaurant," witness Nicole TooToo said.
Some bullets appeared to hit the tires of vehicles, but no one else was injured.
The shooter is still on the run.
Deputies said the shopping center is safe and secure.
Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office: Victim of shooting is dead. Parking lot of Shops at Bella Terra in Richmond @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/ODEjXypu2T
— KPRC2 Rose-Ann Aragon (@KPRC2RoseAnn) July 15, 2017
