A Houston woman was shot and killed and two men were wounded in the first homicide of 2022 in the Texas city. She has been identified as 24-year-old Italia McGregor. A 23-year-old man and a 31-year-old man were also shot, but suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Their names haven’t been released.
The shooting happened about 2:10 a.m. at 11750 South Wilcrest Drive, the Five Nine Bar & Hookah Lounge, according to a Houston Police press release. No suspects have been arrested.
“Officers were dispatched to a shooting call outside a club/lounge at the above address and found Ms. McGregor and two men with gunshot wounds,” police said in the press release. “Paramedics pronounced McGregor deceased at the scene. One male victim was treated and released from an area hospital and the other male victim was treated at the scene.”
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The Woman Who Was Killed Is Not Believed to Have Been the Shooter’s Target, Police Say
Investigators do not believe the woman who was killed, Italia McGregor, was the target of the shooter or shooters. It is not known if the other two victims were targeted.
“Detectives learned that as the victims exited the club, a verbal argument began in the parking lot. The argument escalated with multiple people involved in a fistfight. During the altercation, two black male suspects pulled out guns and began firing multiple shots in all directions. The suspects then fled the scene in a white Dodge Charger,” police said in a press release.
Houston Police Detective Jason Escobar said at the scene, “There is surveillance video at the location and it does pick up a disturbance. … At this point we don’t know what the argument was about. But we do know that the male complainant was attacked by at least three to four males outside of the location. When that occurred other individuals stepped in to try and break up the fight and when that occurred several individuals pulled out handguns and began shooting in the parking lot. The males shot in several different directions.”
Escobar said the altercation began as soon as a man and his girlfriend stepped out of the club. The detective said when the victim was attacked, several other men tried to help him and several men then pulled out guns. He said more than 20 rounds were fired and buildings were also struck by gunfire.
Police Released Surveillance Photos of the Suspects Wanted in the Deadly Shooting
Police released surveillance photos from the first deadly shooting of 2022, showing men suspected of opening fire during the fight. Escobar added, “At this point we don’t know the motive or what the argument was about. We don’t believe the argument or anything took place inside the business.” Escobar said they are still reviewing video footage from the scene.
“Anyone with information on the identities or whereabouts of the two suspects wanted in this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS,” police said in a press release.
In a separate incident, a woman was killed in a shooting just before midnight, to close out 2021. There were more than 400 homicides in Houston in 2021, according to police records, the highest amount in the city since the early 1990s
In the last homicide of 2021, a woman was shot and killed on New Year’s Eve, about 11:10 p.m., in the 800 block of Beresford Street, police said on Twitter. No suspects have been arrested in that shooting and the victim has not been identified.
Houston Police Lieutenant Larry Crowson said at the scene of the Beresford Street homicide said officers were dispatched to a shooting and arrived with the fire department and “found an adult female on a side street. She’s dead from an apparent gunshot wound.”
Crowson added, “We don’t have any other information at this time. It might have been shots fired from a car. We’re trying to pin that down right now. Homicide investigators are at the scene.” Police have not yet released any additional information, including the victim’s name and age.
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Woman Shot & Killed in First Homicide of 2022 [BREAKING IN HOUSTON]