Houston gunman had 2 weapons, thousands of rounds at scene
HOUSTON CHRONICLE VIA AP
Police investigate a car that was shot during a shooting along Wesleyan at Law Street in Houston that left multiple people injured and the alleged shooter dead this morning.
HOUSTON CHRONICLE VIA AP
Alan Wakim shows his wife, Jennifer Molleda, where two bullets entered his windshield and went past his face during a shooting along Wesleyan at Law Street in Houston that left multiple people injured and the alleged shooter dead this morning in Houston.
HOUSTON CHRONICLE VIA AP
Jennifer Molleda runs down Wesleyan Street in Houston to find her husband, Alan Wakim, who had two bullets whiz by his face after going through his windshield on the way to work along Wesleyan at Law Street in a shooting that left multiple people injured and the alleged shooter dead this morning.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Police investigated the car believed to belong to the alleged shooter at the crime scene along Wesleyan at Law Street in Houston that left multiple people injured and the alleged shooter dead, this morning, in Houston.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jennifer Molleda looked at the blood-specked face of her husband, Alan Wakim, who had two bullets whiz by his face after going through his windshield during a shooting along Wesleyan at Law Street that left multiple people injured and the alleged shooter dead, this morning, in Houston.
HOUSTON » A disgruntled lawyer wearing military-style apparel with old Nazi emblems had two weapons and more than 2,500 rounds of live ammunition when he randomly shot at drivers in a Houston neighborhood today before he was shot and killed by police, authorities said.
Nine people were injured during this morning’s shootings on the street in front of a condo complex; six were shot and three had eye injuries from flying glass. One person was in critical condition and another in serious condition, officials said.
Houston Homicide Capt. Dwayne Ready and Interim Police Chief Martha Montalvo did not identify the man and did not have information about a motive. A bomb-squad robot examined a Porsche that police said belonged to the gunman; Texas motor vehicle records in a commercially available database showed the car is licensed to Nathan DeSai at an address in the condo complex.
The property manager of the condo complex also confirmed that police were going through DeSai’s residence, where Ready said vintage military items dating to the Civil War and other guns were found in the man’s apartment.
Authorities first received reports of the shootings about 6:30 a.m., and the man began firing at officers when they arrived. The man had two legally purchased guns — a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a semi-automatic rifle commonly known as a Tommy gun —and an unsheathed knife, Ready said. He also noted that there were 75 spent casings at the scene, which were from officers and the gunman.
Ready said nine officers — five with the Houston Police Department and four with two other local agencies — “engaged the suspect who was shooting randomly at passersby as well as anybody he could put his sights on.”
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During the shootout, one driver was shot and one of the officers “left cover to take that citizen to safety while the other officers engaged the subject,” he said.
Mayor Sylvester Turner told KTRK-TV in Houston that DeSai was a lawyer who was “disgruntled” and was “either fired or had a bad relationship with this law firm.” But DeSai’s former law partner, Kenneth McDaniel, disputed that assertion, saying they jointly closed their 12-year-old law firm in February due to economic conditions related to Houston’s energy industry downturn.
McDaniel also said he hadn’t had contact with DeSai lately and that police called him this morning to check on his safety, though they didn’t explain why.
“He went his way with his practice and I went with mine,” McDaniel said, adding, “All I can say it’s a horrible situation. I’m sad for everyone involved.”
Calls placed to phone numbers connected to DeSai and his father were not immediately answered. DeSai’s father, Prakash DeSai, told KTRK that his son lived in the condo complex and drives a black Porsche. He also said his son, whom he saw Sunday, was upset because “his law practice is not going well” and stays upset “because of his personal problems.”
Perrye Turner, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Houston Division, said officials don’t believe the incident is tied to terrorism.
The entrance to the condo complex, which is in southwest Houston near the affluent enclave of West University Place, was blocked off with police tape late this morning. Several cars with bullet holes and shattered windows were at a nearby strip mall.
Jennifer Molleda and her husband live in the same condo complex as Nathan DeSai. Though she heard gunshots about 6:12 a.m. and called 911, her husband left for work. The 45-year-old called not long after, and he told her, “I’m hit, I’m hit.”
After the shooting stopped at 7:15 a.m., Molleda found her husband, 49-year-old Alan Wakim, several blocks away in the parking lot of a strip mall. His Mustang had two shots that went through the windshield, and he told her that he saw a red laser beam before the shots were fired. He was taken to a hospital to be treated.
“He got out of his car, we hugged, we cried,” Molleda said, adding that after she saw everything, she believes DeSai was “aiming to kill.”
Molleda said she didn’t know DeSai very well, and described him as quiet. “He’s a normal, average Joe,” she said.
Jason Delgado, the property manager of The Oaks at West University condo complex, said DeSai was involved in two recent incidents at the complex.
In August, Delgado said, police were called after roofers working in the complex said DeSai pointed an assault-style rifle at them. He says there wasn’t enough evidence to move forward with charges because the man contended he didn’t point the gun at roofers. Molleda mentioned the same incident.
Last week, DeSai became upset because of water pressure problems at his home, asked for maintenance help and expressed his displeasure in an email to the management firm that implied he’d “intimidate his way to getting what he was asking for,” Delgado said.
Another witness, 30-year-old Antwon Wilson, inadvertently drove into the shooting scene after dropping off his girlfriend at work and could “literally hear the gunfire flying.” He managed to flee and escape injury.
Lee Williams left his home in the neighborhood upon hearing gunshots and began directing traffic away from the condo complex, noting that people usually cut through the area to avoid some busier intersections. One car ignored him, he said, and was immediately shot at. Williams couldn’t see the gunman because it was dark, but believed he saw the muzzle flashes.
“Whatever cars were going by, he was shooting at them,” the 55-year-old said, noting he heard at least 50 gunshots over 40 or so minutes. As he was being interviewed, neighbors came by and patted him on the back, thanking him for keeping people safe.
42 responses to “Houston gunman had 2 weapons, thousands of rounds at scene”
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Let’s be honest here. This was act an of Terrorism! We wait for facts who this person was, the motive or lack there of if he having some kind of mental problems. But in reality whoever fires a weapon of choice at innocent people of people they have a grudge with is Mentally unstable as he/she/they don’t value others lives and probably not even their own.
Latest News: The creep was a disgruntled lawyer who had “issues” with his firm – for a change this time it was not a Muslim immigrant or so it seems.
lol, no he was worse. He was part of the legal profession. Probably an ambulance chaser.
of Indian descent? I wonder if the Law firm was all Whites! Hope the Liberal Media looks into the Law firm’s employees as they may have been all White people picking on an Indian! Yikes!
Now we read the perpetrator was dressed in Nazi attire! He’s a Trump supporter! Yikes!
Did the perpetrator yell before firing shots, Trump! Trump! Trump! Betcha Hillary be saying he was a Trump supporter being a Trump follower. Yikes!
Must politicians are lawyers. LOL
“For a change”??
You either don’t, or can’t read – or perhaps just don’t pay attention. “For a change” in this case, is you posting under thiis story about this guy who happens to not be of your usual target races.
The shooter is from India…but, India has a large Muslim population (it is one their greatest sources of political violence.} I did a quick root search of the surname: The term Muslim Patel applies to Muslim converts from the Hindu Patidar caste….like the Sunni Bohras, a Gujarati Muslim community that also uses the surname Patel. Common surnames include Gangat, Dalal, Desai and Munshi.
For those still not aware…the shooter’s name is Nathan DeSai.
Let’s wait until more facts come out before speculation in things.
Luckily none of the victims died or the shooter who died was of African American descent. We’d be hearing the cries the shooter didn’t have to be shot dead. Or could you imagine BLM marching shouting death to Cops! or having Barrack Obama himself say, if I had a son he be … .
Thanks bumbai. Most of us don’t have internet.
Apparently the StarAdvertiser does not have Internet yet, because the guy’s name was left out of their story.
Oh and born where? Check on this one, no birth certificate on his person. In Texas if your not of the right skin color, the second amendment don’t count.
“Oh and born where? Check on this one, no birth certificate on his person. In Texas if your not of the right skin color, the second amendment don’t count.”
Obama’s in deep doo-doo there.
No legitimate birth certificate and wrong skin color.
YIKES !!!!
Isn’t there a nonlethal way to stop these people? Might there be some information these people have that authorities can use?
Nonlethal response? Aren’t we glad such criminals are killed on the spot?
No, it would be better if they were captured alive so that their motivations could be fully known. Big difference if someone is killing due to what he feels God wants as compared to being slighted at work.
You want them alive so I have to pay taxes to house and feed them in prison just to get their motive? I say after they get their fair trial in court why don’t you convert one of your bedrooms into a prison cell and house one of them so you can listen to them tell you everyday they are innocent and how they found God after reading the bible in their jail cell.
Too bad all of Houston is one big fun-free zone, right?
Nonlethal are you kidding me. If this guy is going to be shooting randomly at people that he probably doesn’t even know I want him dead and the quicker the better.
I just want him stopped. While killing might be the only way, it sure would be better if they could be captured alive.
You’re welcome to try.
” There is Nothing to Fear except Fear Itself”. Said a great president. Did you know Donald was known as “Mr.Fear” by his employees.
Ban guns?
Only way to stop a bad guy with a gun… is a good guy with a gun. That could be a law enforcement officer or a trained civilian with a concealed carry permit.
absolutely
Ban automobiles, they kill too
Ban politician they kill too.
Not necessary to do that but there should be simple regulations on who can have a gun. Think it is pretty pathetic when republicans voted in favor of terrorists being able to buy guns as the NRA did not want to lose out on any business.
Ban White people and Cops! that’ll solve the problem. So simple to figure out for a JoeSixPack here. lol
Yeah that’s working great in Chicago.
Right on Pocho, I’m with you on that one 100%. I’m sick of paying taxes for useless cops and their lawsuits as a result. I say fire the entire police departments in Chicago, LA, and NYC then let the Chicano and black gangs kill each other dead as they duke it out over turf to sell black-tar and cocaine to whitey. Problems will solve themselves. (end of sarcasm)
Ban guns? In texas? Right.
nope
…how about extreme vetting?
America’s new normal.
Next story, please…
Sadly, you might be right.
Suicide is very much related to homicide. Some will just take their own lives. It is so sad to see people in such a state of despair that they would want to end their lives and take others with them. What is causing so much mania?
The media? And people like us who read these stories?
When did sharks have the right to own guns?