Two people have died and three more wounded as gunfire broke out at two separate birthday parties in Houston, police say.
Two separate shootings at birthday parties this weekend have left two people dead and three others injured, officials have said.
During the first incident, gunfire broke out at around 1am on Saturday at a woman’s 21st birthday party, Michael Ritchie, Harris County Sheriff’s Office Sgt said.
There were around 50 people at the bash, at a home in Jacinto City, about 16km east of Houston, when shots were heard following an argument.
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Candelario Gonzalez Jr, 22, and Christian Rangel, 30, were injured and rushed to hospital where sadly they were pronounced dead, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
“Unfortunately, two young men lost their lives at a birthday party for, again, what we’re looking at is probably over just some petty verbal altercation,” Ritchie said.
No arrests have been made.
Gonzalez explained investigations are ongoing as cops try to determine if the two victims were partygoers or passing by and were shot by members who attended the party.
“We don’t know all the connections. That will be a part of our investigation that’s ongoing at this point,” Gonzalez added.
In the second shooting, people were having a birthday party at an apartment complex in west Houston when a neighbor complained about the loud music.
However, the third time he came to complain about the noise, at around 1.30am, he had a gun, Houston Police Lt T Riley said.
“There was a struggle over the firearm. The suspect discharged the firearm several times into the air,” Riley said.
“They were able to wrestle that firearm away from him and they closed the door.”
He returned home, got another gun and came back and began shooting through the backdoor of the apartment, hitting three people.
One man was injured in the torso, another was hit in the leg and another woman was grazed by gunfire. They were rushed to hospital in stable condition, Riley added.
The neighbor fled on foot.
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