June 10, 2023: A Houston homeowner confronted two would-be car thieves he caught on surveillance cameras breaking through his fence. One of the thieves began shooting at the homeowner, who was also armed and returned fire, fatally striking one suspect. https://t.co/aV9CXWabPu
— Defensive Gun Use Tracker (@DailyDGU) June 13, 2023
U.S.A. — A 60-year-old homeowner in west Houston is recuperating following a deadly exchange of gunfire that ensued after he confronted suspected thieves who were burglarizing his garage early Saturday morning. This incident was part of a spate of violence that plagued Houston over the weekend.
At around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, the unnamed homeowner was alerted by his Ring surveillance system that two men were attempting to break into his garage. The camera footage revealed two individuals with backpacks walking into his garage and shortly after, they were seen walking away with a box of tools. The homeowner, who had armed himself, approached the suspects to order them to leave his property.
A deadly shootout transpired when one of the suspects drew a weapon and started firing, hitting the homeowner in the leg. The resident returned fire, hitting one of the suspects multiple times, according to reports from the Houston Police Department.
The Houston Police Department noted that the injured suspect fled through the broken fence and was found at a nearby stairwell. Despite the arrival of first responders and immediate transportation to the hospital, the suspect succumbed to his injuries. The second suspect’s whereabouts remain unknown, and he is believed to have left the scene armed and on foot.
The homeowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, is currently recuperating and is reportedly cooperating with the police investigation. In an interview with ABC13, the homeowner expressed that he did not wish to harm anyone but felt compelled to defend himself and his property.
This residential community has recently seen a surge in thefts and car break-ins, and as a result, residents are maintaining a heightened level of vigilance. The city of Houston, on the other hand, has been grappling with a disturbing trend of violence. From Friday through Sunday, local media reported 17 separate shootings, resulting in at least nine deaths and 17 injuries.
Despite these troubling events, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner stated that overall crime rates are on the decline. According to the ABC13 Neighborhood Safety Tracker, the violent crime rate has fallen in 90 of the city’s 111 police beats compared to the four-year average. Additionally, the burglary rate has dipped from an average of 325 a week in 2019 to 276 a week over the last 12 months.
However, residents of the west Houston community are not convinced. Neighbors shared their skepticism with ABC13, saying, “It’s not true. You hear gunshots all the time.” Like his injured neighbor, the resident also uses a Ring camera which frequently alerts him to nearby gunfire.
As the community rallies around their injured neighbor, they remain on high alert while the second suspect remains at large.
By Fred Riehl and AI tools. Note: This article was generated using AI technology and may contain some automated content aggregation and analysis.