Southeast Houston: 16 shot, 18-year-old killed at family gathering, police say

HOUSTON, Texas - One person has died, and 15 others are hurt after a shooting at a family gathering in the 6000 block of Cherryhill Avenue in Southeast Houston.

Houston gathering ends in tragedy: 16 shot, one teen dead

What we know:

Houston Police officials say the shooting was reported at about 12:40 a.m. on Sunday.

Investigators believe an uninvited guest showed up to the gathering and was asked to leave. 

Police say as the uninvited guest was leaving, that person began shooting. There was returned gunfire from other guests at the gathering.

In an update on Sunday evening, police confirmed that 16 people had been shot.

An 18-year-old was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound, but he was later pronounced deceased.

At least 15 other people were also taken to hospitals for their injuries. Police say the age range for these victims is between 16–40 years old.

Many people were detained at the scene and questioned by police, but they have since been released. No suspect is in custody at this time.

What we don't know:

No one involved in this incident has been identified at this time.

The conditions of those who were injured in this shooting are not available.

What you can do:

Police are asking those who were at the gathering to contact authorities, saying there may be evidence in their vehicles that could help with this case. 

Contact the homicide division at 713-308-3600 or call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

‘A lot of things went wrong’

What they're saying:

Residents in the Mayfair area tell FOX 26 that they heard multiple gunshot wounds. They also saw people running in the streets and hiding between houses.

One of the partygoers said he tried to help the victim who died.

"It was a big party going on, and a lot of things went wrong," he told reporter Jade Flury. "Whenever the shooting was going on, I didn't really think much of it. I just tried to help some guy who was in front of me who got shot. We ended up bringing him here to this location and, unfortunately, he passed away."

What they're saying:

Miguel Negrete has lived in the neighborhood for two years. The shooting left his home riddled with bullet holes. One bullet went through his bedroom and his daughters'. 

"They came in through that side. I don’t know how many gun shots, but the hole that’s in the first wall is the first one that came in. It went through the walls, it went through two walls. There’s one in the garage as well," said Negrete."When we arrived, at the entrance of the street we came in and saw people running. The ambulance was coming behind us, the fire department. We saw people running this way and that way."

The shooting highlights a trend in the increase in youth gun violence in Houston and the need for adult intervention. 

"There are so many things that might have been able to be done in that moment had more adults been able to talk to the youth and deescalate, because I only imagine tension went up immediately when that youth was asked to leave," said Shannon Bloodsaw, the program director for the College of Juvenile Justice at Prairie View A&M University.