HOUSTON – A grandfather killed by gunfire in his own home has been laid to rest.
The deadly shooting happened at a birthday party at a southeast Houston home on Dec. 17.
Two people were shot, including a young girl who was hit in the foot.
The 67-year-old grandfather who died in the gunfire was Filiberto Puente. He died after being shot in the torso, according to his daughter.
Detectives with the Houston Police Department say they are actively working on the case, but as of Thursday, they have not been able to find the people who pulled the trigger.
Puente’s family shared new security camera video showing the moment the innocent grandfather was gunned down. The video doesn’t have sound, but you can see the muzzle flash from the guns being fired towards Puente’s Juliabora Street home.
There are bullet holes all throughout the front of the home, including the porch, mailbox, windows, doors and even cars parked outside.
Most knew Filiberto Puente as Gilbert. A man who worked his tail off. He came to the Houston area from Mexico with nothing, but a big heart.
“He was always a person that was trying to help anybody he could,” said Gilbert’s daughter, Adriana Puente. “He was always able to make everybody laugh. I always say my mom was the heart of the family, but he was the pilar.”
Adriana Puente said her son, Michael was having an 18th birthday party at his grandfather’s home.
“My dad was like, ‘No, he’s turning 18,” Adriana said. “He’s going to want to be with young kids his age. Let him have the party.”
As the time crept into the early morning hours of December 17, random people started showing up after the address was shared on social media.
“People started giving the address to random people that we didn’t even know,” she said.
Initially, Puente wasn’t home, but later showed up after seeing the number of people on his camera system.
At some point during the night, a fight occurred between two girls at the party, according to Adriana. One of the girls then called an unknown person, who Adriana thinks showed up and opened fire around 1:10 a.m.
Puente was inside the front hallway of the home. He was hit by two bullets. His autopsy report says he died from a bullet in the torso.
Adriana was only a few streets away with her mother. They didn’t hear the gunfire, but were told about a shooting by a neighbor.
“I guess in my mom’s head something crossed her head and she said, ‘I’m going to call your dad.’ But my dad never answered,” Adriana said.
Moments later, Michael called his mom.
“I picked up and all I could hear was him crying. He wouldn’t say anything,” she said.
Puente was lying in the hallway, bleeding from the gunshot wounds. By the time Adriana could get home, her father died.
“I see his face and it looked like a whole different color than the rest of his body,” she said. “I knew, I knew he was gone. Out of all the people that were here, it had to be him. He was innocent.”
Houston Police swarmed the home, but the shooters were gone. They’re investigating, but now need your help trying to track down who pulled the trigger.
If you know anything, you’re urged to call Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS or submit an anonymous online tip.
KPRC 2′s Gage Goulding will have more on this story tonight at 10.
