Here are things to know for Tuesday, May 18:
1. Family, police asking for help after man shot, killed in southwest Houston
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Police are asking for the public’s help finding the person responsible for a fatal shooting in southwest Houston.
The incident happened around 2 a.m. on Concourse Drive near Duchamp Drive in the Westwood area, police said.
According to authorities, witnesses told them the victim, 29-year-old Elias Marzano, and another person were involved in a verbal altercation.
Police said as Marzano was driving away, the other person pulled out a handgun fired multiple gunshots, hitting Marzano while he was in his vehicle.
2. Man dead after possible road rage shooting on Gulf Freeway at Griggs Road, police say
A deadly shooting on one of Houston’s busiest freeways is under investigation. Houston police closed the northbound lanes of the Gulf Freeway at Griggs Road so homicide and forensic teams could process the crime scene.
Investigators said four vehicles were involved, but two left the scene, including the shooter’s vehicle.
“Shots were fired. It’s unknown if it’s road rage or any other kind of relation, gangs or anything of that nature,” said HPD Asst. Chief Patricia Cantu.
Houston police responded to reports of a crash on the Gulf Freeway at Griggs Road around 12:25 p.m.
Police said two vehicles were speeding and weaving in and out of traffic when one vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier.
3. Gov. Abbott announces end to federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits for Texans
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told the U.S. Department of Labor on Monday that Texas will opt out of further federal unemployment compensation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, effective June 26, 2021.
This includes the $300 weekly unemployment supplement from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, according to a news release from Abbott’s office.
Federal law requires the effective date of this change to be at least 30 days after notification is provided to the Secretary of Labor. As a result, the effective date will be June 26, 2021.
4. Harris County DA’s Office intervenes in Harding Street civil case to deny information to victims’ families
The family of the victims involved in the 2019 deadly botch raid on Harding Street was slated to receive key evidence from the city of Houston after a judge’s ruling, according to Mike Doyle, the attorney for the family of Rhogena Nicholas.
“The fact that they are still covering this up and spending so much time and effort I think it should be astounding and discouraging to anybody in this city,” Doyle said.
The family was involved once again in federal court proceedings on Monday attempting to get key evidence turned over to them by the end of the month. The family of Rhogena Nicholas focused on holding the city of Houston and the Houston Police Department accountable, but they were back before a federal judge after the Harris County District Attorney’s office intervened in the civil suit.
The DA’s Office is against the families being provided immediate access to information and evidence.
5. Santa Fe HS shooting 3 years later: Documentary to focus on untold stories from survivors
Tuesday marks the third anniversary of the Santa Fe High shooting, the third deadliest school shooting in America and the deadliest high school shooting ever in Texas.
Ten people died on May 18, 2018, at Santa Fe High, including eight students and two teachers: Cynthia Tisdale, 63, Glenda Ann Perkins, 64, Jared Conard Black, 17, Shana Fisher, 16, Christian Riley Garcia, 15, Aaron Kyle McLeod, 15, Angelique Ramirez, 15, Sabika Sheikh, 17, Christopher Stone, 17, and Kimberly Vaughan, 14.
Three years later, much of the story of what happened that day remains untold, according to documentary filmmaker Charlie Minn.
Many of Minn’s more than 30 documentaries took a closer look at mass shootings across America, including his latest: “The Kids of Santa Fe: The Largest Unknown Mass Shooting.”