Man in custody after 2 found dead in southeast Houston home after shooting, police say

HOUSTON – Houston police said they have a man in custody after a double murder in southeast Houston on Tuesday morning.

The shooting happened at a residence in the 11100 block of Cayman Mist Drive. Police said two people were found dead in the home.

Police said one of the victims was the suspect’s grandmother, identified by neighbors as Carmen Hays, along with his younger brother. Police said the suspect fled but was tracked down by irate family members who found him at an Academy store about three miles away from the shooting scene. Police said there was a confrontation and the suspect, identified by a family friend as Eric Hays, was punched at least twice before police arrived.

“They were able to take the individual, detain the individual. Our officers arrived. They were able to recover the weapon that was used. Or a weapon we believe was used and were able to take the suspect into custody,” said HPD commander Matt May.

Grieving family and friends surrounded the scene as homicide detectives began gathering evidence.

“You know it’s devastating to get that phone call,” said Ryan McHenry, a family friend.

McHenry said he got the call at work and rushed to the scene. He said Carmen Hays was the family matriarch, known as “granny” to him and many other kids who she helped raise, including the suspect gunman.

“That’s not just his grandma, that his mother, his father, she was there with him through everything. So I don’t see what could possibly make him do something like that,” McHenry said.

Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the killings. McHenry said he believes drugs were involved.

“It’s like drugs overtook his mind or something. It has to be some type of drugs for you to do something like that to your immediate family,” McHenry said.