Houston Police Fatally Shoot Armed Suspect After Exchange of Gunfire at Southwest Fwy Hotel

HOUSTON, Texas – Houston police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that left an armed male suspect dead Sunday night following reports of gunfire at a hotel along the Southwest Freeway.

Officers responded around 9:10 p.m. to reports of shots fired at the Comfort Inn & Suites SW Houston Sugarland located at 11050 Southwest Freeway. Preliminary information indicated a male suspect was discharging a firearm from the third floor of the building, according to the Houston Police Department.

Upon arrival, officers were directed by a citizen to the right side of the property, where they observed a man matching the suspect’s description carrying a rifle. Police said officers issued verbal commands ordering the suspect to drop the weapon. The suspect instead raised the rifle, pointed it at officers, and fired.

Officers W. LeBlanc, H. Romero, and M. Alagi discharged their service weapons, striking the suspect. Officers immediately provided first aid until Houston Fire Department paramedics arrived. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity is being withheld pending notification of family members by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Authorities said none of the officers were injured. LeBlanc and Romero were sworn in as Houston police officers in August 2024, while Alagi joined the department in October 2023. All three are assigned to the Westside Patrol Division.

During a search of the hotel, officers located a woman on the third floor who suffered a gunshot graze wound during the suspect’s initial gunfire. Officials said her injuries were not serious.

The Houston Police Department Homicide Division Special Investigations Unit, Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office are conducting separate reviews of the incident, as is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.