HOUSTON – A teenager was shot and killed as a man was holding eight people hostage inside a Sunnyside store Monday night.
“He didn’t want to rob, he didn’t ask for no money, he just wanted to kill people,” said store clerk Johnson James.
Three employees and five customers were inside the Green Light convenience store at 9635 Scott and Barberry at about 9:50 p.m. Monday, when 47-year-old Al Vernon Brown allegedly walked in with two guns.
“He comes in the store, first he grabbed a juice, so he was just all right, but then the kids come in, he just started jumping on the thing. He had two guns with him, so he started telling everyone to stay on the floor,” said James.
Authorities said Brown first pointed a gun at James who was able to push the panic button to alert police.
The clerk said Brown was yelling at everyone and even fired several times.
“He was telling everybody to call the police, he was crazy,” said James.
Police say a 17-year-old man outside saw what was happening and walked in with his own gun to stop it.
Instead, Brown opened fire multiple times, killing the teenager.
That teenager has been identified by his mother as Andrell Lamon. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help her bury her son.
“It was sad though. He didn’t have to do that. He was trying to help the people inside but, we thought he(the suspect) didn’t have any bullets, but he had the two guns filled up,” said James.
Police said when officers arrived, Brown surrendered.
“(He) put two guns on the floor, he lay on the floor, and he was like, ‘I didn’t do anything,’” said James.
Police said Brown shot at another customer who managed to run out of the store, but it’s unclear if that customer was injured.
Brown is currently charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and has pending charges of murder and aggravated assault of a police officer.
