Here are things to know for Thursday, April 29:
1. Teen shoots stepfather to death during celebration at SW Houston restaurant, HPD says
Recommended Videos
Police said a 16-year-old boy shot and killed his stepfather Wednesday night at a restaurant in southwest Houston.
The shooting occurred after 6 p.m. at Shabu Zone located at 11200 Bellaire Blvd., according to HPD.
Police said the family was having a celebration at the restaurant when the stepson shot the stepfather once in the head.
The shooting happened inside the restaurant, which was at capacity during the shooting.
The victim was a man in his early 40s, according to HPD Assistant Chief Ban Tien.
2. Pearland couple says they’re lucky to be alive after being attacked by burglar with a hammer
One Pearland couple said they are lucky to be alive and on the road to recovery after a burglar threw a cinderblock at their home and began to attack them with a hammer.
“It seemed so surreal. I don’t even remember time going by,” homeowner David DeHoyos said.
David and Lisa DeHoyos said it is frankly a miracle they are alive to tell their story.
On April 17, Pearland police said the suspect, whom they believe to be 32-year-old Robert Herbert Jr., threw a cinderblock at the Dehoyos’ backdoor and continued inside, grabbing a hammer, destroying the home, and stealing.
“It was a typical Saturday night. We were both going to bed,” David said. “I heard a commotion downstairs. I saw that he (the intruder) had a hammer. He was beating on our walls and ceiling.”
3. Gov. Greg Abbott says he’ll sign bill allowing permitless carrying of handguns, believes Senate is ‘making progress’
Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he would sign legislation allowing Texans to carry handguns in public without a license, breaking his silence on a proposal that has been building unprecedented momentum in the Texas Legislature.
“I support it, and I believe it should reach my desk, and we should have ‘constitutional carry’ in Texas,” Abbott told North Texas radio host Rick Roberts.
As recently as a week ago, Abbott had declined to say whether he supported such a proposal, which the House passed earlier this month. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said the Senate does not have the votes for the legislation, but he is trying to find a way to move it through the process.
4. More than 51,000 Houstonians are overdue for 2nd coronavirus shot
More than 51,000 Houstonians are overdue for their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Scott Packard, spokesman for the Houston Health Department, said that 1,132,816 residents of Houston have received at least one dose for the vaccine as of April 21. That’s of the 2,316,797 people eligible to receive it.
Packard said that 772,572 of those people have received their second dose, but 51,881 of those who have received their first dose are overdue for their second one. Overdue is defined as being more than 42 days past their first dose.
In Harris County, about 3,100 people of the more than 330,000 vaccinated at county clinics have yet to return for their second dose.
5. Galveston businesses team up with Port officials pushing CDC to lift ban on cruises
There are 850 businesses under the Galveston Chamber of Commerce that thrive on tourism and a big part of that is the cruise industry.
News that cruises could be resuming soon is making a big splash.
“Excited, we welcome them with open arms,” said Genette Bassett, the owner of Galveston Dry Goods.
There is a lot of anticipation for cruises to return to the Port of Galveston now that many Americans are being vaccinated.
“Even the people who work on the cruise ships are great customers to the island,” Bassett said.
On Tuesday, the port of Galveston Wharves Board approved a resolution that calls for cruising to resume.