Houston man shot in Halloween costume after alleged wrong-apartment mix-up

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Published October 29, 2026 6:39 AM CDT

Shooting on Bering Drive (Courtesy of OnScene TV Houston)

The Brief

    • A Houston resident shot a man early Thursday morning after the man repeatedly tried to push his way into the wrong apartment, according to police.
    • Police say the man who was shot was wearing a Halloween costume, lived in the complex, and was likely intoxicated after a party.
    • The man was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

HOUSTON - A mix-up at a Houston apartment complex in the Greater Uptown area ended in gunfire after a man mistook someone else's apartment for his own.

Lieutenant R. Willkens with the Houston Police Department said the person shot was last reported to be in critical condition.

Apartment mix-up shooting

What we know:

Around 2:20 a.m., officers and the Houston Fire Department responded to an apartment complex on Bering Drive.

Lt. Wilkens said a resident in one of the apartments was asleep on his couch while his girlfriend and their 1-year-old child were in the bedroom. The resident woke up to the sound of someone trying to get in, by shaking the handle and at one point kicking the door.

The resident grabbed their AR-15 rifle and went to the door to look through the peephole. He did not recognize the man and only opened the door after checking if he noticed any weapons.

Officials said the girlfriend came out the bedroom and also confirmed she also did not recognize the person at the door, dressed in what appeared to eb a Halloween costume.

Lt. Willkens stated the man attempted to force his way inside and kept repeating, "This is my apartment."  The resident physically pushed back to keep him out, but the intruder continued to rush through the door. The resident fired a single shot, hitting the man in the upper body.

Paramedics with the Houston Fire Department took the man to an area hospital in critical condition.

Investigators confirmed the injured man does live in the apartment complex, and officers believe he was likely intoxicated coming home from a party and mistakenly tried to enter the wrong second-floor unit.

The resident and his girlfriend are cooperating with investigators. No other injuries were reported.

What we don't know:

Police have not released the names of the resident or the man who was shot.

It remains unclear whether any charges will be filed in connection with the shooting.

The Source:  Information for this article was provided by Houston Police Department Lt. Wilkens.

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