Spring Branch ISD officer kills man accused of shooting father, running to Buffalo Creek Elem, leading chase
HOUSTON - Police say a man shot his father to death, tried to steal cars at an elementary school, carjacked two people, and led police on a chase before he was shot and killed by a Spring Branch ISD officer.
The incident began with a deadly shooting at a home on Thursday morning and ended outside a business in the Spring Branch area.
"Just super tragic. Really, really tragic," said Gabriel Garza, a neighbor.
Houston police were first called to a home in the 2500 block of Mona Lee Lane around 7:10 a.m. for a report of a shooting.
According to HPD, a woman told officers that her son came home, got into an argument with his father and then she heard a shot. She ran outside and called the police. When officers arrived, they pronounced the father dead.
"Once officers arrived, they were able to go in and extract the father from the house. Unfortunately, he was pronounced deceased on the scene," said Police Chief Troy Finner, of the Houston Police Department.
Video: Murder suspect carjacks man in front of police
Police say a man shot his father to death, tried to steal cars at an elementary school, carjacked two people and led police on a chase before he was shot and killed by a Spring Branch ISD officer. The incident began with a deadly shooting at a home on Thursday morning and ended outside a business in the Spring Branch area.
Police say the suspect then ran to Buffalo Creek Elementary School.
Spring Branch ISD police say they got a call around 7:21 a.m. about a suspect trying to get into vehicles at the school.
Police say a district police officer tried to stop the man, but the suspect ran away and then carjacked a driver.
The SBISD officer pursued him. Police say the suspect sideswiped two vehicles – including a school bus – during the chase, then got out and carjacked another driver at an intersection.
"The individual that pulled up behind me and jumped out of his car with a gun pointed at me and commanded I get out of the car, which I proceeded to do," said Mike Noble, one of the carjacking victims.
Police say the suspect ended up at a dead-end, got out of the vehicle, and ran, but ended up cornered at Houston Crane, Inc. located at 2815 Campbell Road.
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According to SBISD, the suspect then turned around and took a shot at the district police officer, who returned fire. The suspect was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect was not identified, but police said he was around 30 years old.
The officer was not injured.
"Just really, really sad it’s a really quiet neighborhood. Nothing ever, ever happens in here," said Garza.
SBISD police say the suspect may have tried to enter the school at one point, but they are still investigating to confirm if that was the case.
"The suspect was unable to enter the building as all doors were locked in accordance with SBISD safety protocols," the district said in a release.
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"We applaud our Spring Branch ISD Police for acting swiftly to protect our school during arrival and our campus staff who responded immediately and followed our safety protocols. We also thank our SBISD Board of Trustees for their strong commitment to safety and security and for requiring our locked-door protocol for all district schools and facilities," stated Dr. Jennifer Blaine, SBISD Superintendent of Schools.
The Houston Police Department says their officers were not involved in the shooting, but they are conducting the criminal investigation because it occurred in city limits. SBISD will conduct the administrative investigation.