Houston police shot and wounded a gunman who opened fire on passing vehicles along Wayside Drive, striking three people including a mother and daughter.
The shooting unfolded at about 11 a.m. Friday in northeast Houston, when officers responded to reports of an active shooter firing at cars near Wayside Drive and St. Louis Street. Authorities said the man was armed with an automatic weapon and had already shot at three vehicles by the time police arrived.
When officers reached the scene, they found a man with a gun and commanded him to drop the weapon. After the suspect failed to obey those commands, three Houston Police Department officers and a trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety opened fire on him, according to HPD.
The accused gunman was shot multiple times and taken to a hospital. His current condition has not been released, and police have not publicly identified him.
“He was standing in the median right here,” a witness who identified himself only as David told KRIV-TV. “He was just shooting at cars coming down Wayside. He didn’t care who was coming which way. He didn’t care who he was shooting at. He didn’t care if there were kids in the car.”
David said he and his coworkers tried to stop cars from traveling toward the gunman as the chaos unfolded. Their efforts came as the shooter targeted multiple vehicles in quick succession.
Among the targeted vehicles was a car carrying a mother and her daughter, both of whom were struck by gunfire, police said. A third person traveling in a second vehicle was also shot. An occupant in a third vehicle managed to escape unharmed.
All three shooting victims were hospitalized. Police have not released their conditions or identities, though the mother and daughter were confirmed among the wounded.
The Texas Rangers are assisting the Houston Police Department in investigating the incident, standard procedure for officer-involved shootings in the state. Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the gunman’s actions.
The shooting shut down traffic along Wayside Drive for several hours Friday as investigators processed the scene. The area, in northeast Houston near the intersection with St. Louis Street, saw significant police presence through the afternoon.
HPD has not said how many rounds were fired by the suspect or by the officers who responded. The department typically releases body camera footage of officer-involved shootings within 30 days under city policy.
The incident marks the latest in a series of violent encounters along Wayside Drive, a corridor that has seen multiple shootings in recent years. Community members have previously raised concerns about safety in the area.
In the viral moment that preceded the police response, the gunman stood in the median of the busy roadway and fired at oncoming traffic without apparent discrimination. Witness David described a scene of random terror as drivers realized they were under fire. The shooter’s decision to target moving vehicles with an automatic weapon created what police described as an extremely dangerous and fluid situation requiring immediate intervention.
The investigation remains ongoing. No information has been released about whether the suspect has a prior criminal history or what may have prompted the attack.
Houston has seen a string of high-profile violent incidents in recent months, including officer-involved shootings and attacks on law enforcement. The city recorded more than 400 homicides in 2025, according to police data.
Mayor John Whitmire and Police Chief J. Noe Diaz have faced pressure to address violent crime while also managing staffing shortages in the department. The chief has emphasized community policing efforts in northeast Houston and other high-crime areas.
The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation, per department policy. Their names have not been released.
Authorities are asking anyone with additional information or video of the incident to contact the Houston Police Department’s Homicide Division or Crime Stoppers.
The Texas Rangers’ involvement ensures an outside review of the officers’ use of force, a protocol established to provide transparency in police shootings across the state.