Gunman injures at least nine people in Houston rampage

US police fatally shoot attacker following assault on morning commuters in Texas

US investigators looks over the scene where nine people were shot in Houston, Texas. File photograph: Bob Levey/Getty Images
US investigators looks over the scene where nine people were shot in Houston, Texas. File photograph: Bob Levey/Getty Images

A troubled lawyer opened fire on morning commuters in Houston, Texas, on Monday, injuring at least nine people before being fatally shot by police, authorities said.

Six victims were taken to hospitals and three were treated at the scene after being shot at while inside their vehicles in the wealthy neighbourhood of West University Place, acting Houston police chief Martha Montalvo told reporters.

One of the victims was said to be in a critical condition and another was in serious condition.

Video frame from KHOU TV in Houston,Texas shows emergency vehicles at the scene of a shooting. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Video frame from KHOU TV in Houston,Texas shows emergency vehicles at the scene of a shooting. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Ms Montalvo declined to identify the suspect but said he was a lawyer.

READ MORE

She said the FBI was assisting with the investigation and did not mention terrorism as a motive.

Houston mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters: “The motivation appears to be a lawyer whose relationship with his law firm went bad.”

Bomb squad

The police bomb squad secured the suspect’s car, a black Porsche, which had numerous weapons in it. Police were also planning to search his house.

Broken glass from shattered car windows littered a carpark in a shopping centre near where the suspect fired 20 to 30 shots.

An unidentified witness told a local television station she heard “the bullets literally whiz by my window”.

Live video streams showed numerous police cars and ambulances in the area.

There were also a few vehicles seen with bullet holes.

Reuters