HOUSTON – A man was shot to death Wednesday after police say he tried to force his way into a woman’s apartment in southeast Houston, according to the Houston Police Department.
The shooting was reported around 3 p.m. at an apartment complex located in the 8900 block of Broadway Street.
While the woman was inside the apartment, police said she heard someone banging on her door aggressively. When she opened the door, the suspect tried to force his way inside -- and that’s when she shot him with a handgun. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Somebody started beating on her door very heavily. She opened the door and a male that she didn’t know started forcing his way into the apartment,” HPD Lt. Larry Crowson said. “She doesn’t know who this guy is. There are some reports he might have been hanging around the apartment complex the last few days.”
“People have seen him around in the apartments before, just kind of walking around, wandering around,” HPD homicide investigator Bobby Smith said. “But nobody really knows him, nobody knows whether or not he actually lives in the apartments.”
Investigators said an 11-month-old, along with other adults, were also inside the home during the shooting, but no one was injured.
Surveillance video obtained by KPRC 2 shows a man in the minutes before the shooting seemingly peering into apartment windows. Investigators confirmed the clothes seen on the man in the video are the same clothes that were on the man found dead.
“Everybody knows everybody, we’re kind of tight knit,” one of the neighbors said. “This little corner is getting like, uncomfortable to be in.”
Police said the shooter was shaken up after the incident. She and other witnesses were taken to HPD headquarters for questioning, but police said it’s unlikely she’ll face charges.
The identity of the deceased male, 43, is pending notification to family members by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The shooting is under investigation.