HPD: Suspect remains at large following officer-involved shooting at Galleria Mall

HOUSTON - A suspect remains at large following an officer-involved shooting at the Houston Galleria Mall on Friday evening. 

Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner said the shooting occurred around 7:50 p.m. 

According to HPD, an off-duty officer was working an approved extra job at the mall.

Finner said the officer, in full uniform, was alerted to gunshots inside the Galleria, near the food court. 

Authorities said a suspect shot a person in the leg in the corridor of a parking garage.

Finner stated the victim went down and that's when the suspect ran out of the door and into the parking garage. 

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The suspect immediately shot at an off-duty HPD officer who was outside in the garage, police said. 

The officer took cover and fired back at the suspect "a few times," Finner stated. 

Police say the officer missed the suspect, who fled the scene and remains at large. The officer was not injured.

The victim, 24, who was shot in the leg was taken to the hospital in unknown condition. 

A lockdown was reported at the mall as police searched for the suspect. 

The suspect is described only as a black male, 18 to 30 years of age and weighing 110 to 140 pounds.  He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and black sweat pants.

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The officer who discharged his duty weapon was identified by HPD as Officer T. Burrell.  He was sworn in as an HPD officer in April 2016 and is assigned to the South Gessner Patrol Division.

Finner said it's unclear what led up to the shooting.

"Our citizens, the majority of our people, are good people, they really are. As a city, focus in on these violent criminals, just like this knucklehead tonight, and I'm calling him a knucklehead and I want to say something else, because it's really frustrating. You got kids, you got families in the malls and you shooting at somebody, it makes no sense. But just like the other suspects, we're coming after you. Just plain and simple," said Finner. 

Anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts of the suspect is urged to contact the HPD Special Investigations Unit at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

As is customary in HPD officer-involved shooting incidents in the city limits, this case is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit and the HPD Internal Affairs Division.