BAYTOWN, Texas – A gunman has been identified after he was reportedly shot and killed by police Wednesday night following a deadly shooting spree in Baytown.
According to police, 33-year-old Baytown resident Ron Welch was said to have murdered two men and injured two others by gunfire during the course of the evening.
Here’s what happened:
According to Baytown Chief of Police John Stringer, officers were called at around 6:30 p.m. about the initial shooting which took place on Tri City Road near Evergreen after Welch reportedly got into an argument with a man and a woman who were sitting inside a vehicle.
It is believed the couple and Welch may have been neighbors, Stringer noted.
Officers say at some point during that argument, Welch shot the male victim in the head and also shot the woman. The man was pronounced deceased, and the woman is expected to survive her injuries, officials stated.
Police say the suspect fled that scene and moments later, they were called to a second shooting scene nearby at the Bay Oaks Harbor trailer park where Welch allegedly shot another woman. That woman is also expected to survive her injuries.
Sometime after, Welch got into an argument with another man at the trailer park who was also unrelated to the initial shooting scenes. That victim was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
When officers located the suspect, it is unclear if he opened fire on police, however, Stringer says they wouldn’t have shot him unless they were threatened. Ultimately, those responders were said to have killed that gunman.
It is also unclear how many times Welch was reportedly shot.
“Anytime an officer discharges their weapon, it has to be in defense of their own life or the life of another person,” Stringer said. “Yes, there was a physical threat.”
Investigators say they have yet to discover a motive for the shooting rampage.
Stringer says those officers’ mental health will be evaluated following the traumatic event, and they will remain on administrative leave until further notice.
Baytown police and the District Attorney’s Office will lead the investigation.