Man with screwdriver in custody after breaking into Scottish Rite, holding hostages
HOUSTON - A man who was believed to be armed with a gun is in custody after reportedly holding two hostages inside a southwest Houston building with a screwdriver.
Houston Police say they received a call about shots fired Monday morning at 2401 West Bellfort Ave. The address belongs to Houston Scottish Rite, a freemasonry.
Officers arrived without knowing what they were going into, and called on SWAT and hostage negotiators for assistance.
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They encountered a male suspect, who is approximately 30-years-old and possibly of Middle Eastern descent. After officers pressed him, he surrendered without incident.
They found he was armed with a screwdriver, not a firearm.
Witnesses told HPD that he arrived several minutes before their call for service, acting erratically and questioning people in the building about their beliefs.
Then he broke a window and got into the building.
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Police believe the shots fired call came because of the noise created by the suspect breaking the glass.
The suspect then held two men hostage, a 91-year-old who somehow suffered an injury to the hand, and a 65-year-old who was not injured.
HPD is still investigating the incident, and it's unknown if the suspect will face any charges.