Houston police said more than one person opened fire at a southwest Houston apartment complex after an argument involving middle school students.
HOUSTON, TX — A 26-year-old man was killed and another man suffered minor injuries Monday after an ongoing dispute involving middle school girls escalated into an exchange of gunfire at a southwest Houston apartment complex, according to Houston police.
Officers responded about 4:25 p.m. Aug. 17 to the 11900 block of Oakmoor Parkway, where they found a man with at least one gunshot wound in the parking lot, the Houston Police Department said Tuesday. Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. Police said a second man suffered minor injuries in the shooting. The dead man’s identity had not been released pending notification of his family.
Police said investigators learned that a disturbance occurred before more than one person fired shots. HPD said detectives interviewed the parties involved and consulted with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities determined that the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting will be referred to a Harris County grand jury. Police did not announce criminal charges in the department’s Tuesday update.
HPD Lt. Larry Crowson told KTRK that the confrontation grew from an argument among middle school girls that had been going on for several days. Crowson said the dispute resumed while the girls were riding a school bus home Monday. Police said the argument continued after the students reached the apartment complex, moving from the parking lot into a courtyard.
KTRK reported that the girls attend a KIPP school, citing police. A KIPP spokeswoman told the station Monday that the school organization was aware of the shooting but could not confirm information about the incident. Authorities had not publicly identified the students involved or specified which KIPP campus they attend.
Crowson said at least two young men became involved after the girls’ confrontation continued at the complex. Police initially described one as having a pistol and the other as having a rifle. Gunfire was then exchanged. Early reports described the person who died as a young man, but HPD’s formal statement Tuesday listed him as 26.
The second injured man was found after officers spoke with witnesses and went to an apartment, according to local reporting from the scene. Police initially said he had suffered a graze wound. HPD later described his injuries as minor and did not release his identity or additional information about his condition.
Crowson expressed concern about gunfire erupting in an apartment complex where children and other residents were nearby. Police have not released information establishing who fired the fatal shot, what role each person played in the confrontation or whether investigators believe any shooter acted in self-defense. The department’s decision to send the case to a grand jury leaves those questions subject to further legal review.
HPD Homicide Division detectives B. Bradford and P. Michon are investigating the case. Police said anyone with information about the shooting can contact the department’s Homicide Division. The identity of the man who died remained pending release by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated August 18, 2026.