Police say an argument preceded the burst of gunfire at a W. Tidwell complex.
HOUSTON, TX — A woman was shot Friday night inside a northwest Houston apartment while three children were in the unit, and she later died at a hospital, police said. Officers were called about 8 p.m. to the 6200 block of W. Tidwell near Lumberdale Road.
Police said the shooting is under investigation by the homicide division after responding officers found the woman wounded and three children — two girls, ages six and eight, and a six-year-old boy — unharmed in the apartment. Detectives said an argument outside the unit moved toward the front door before shots were fired. Authorities said the victim did not live in the apartment, and the children were not hers. As of Sunday, investigators had not publicly identified a suspect. The case has drawn family members and neighbors to the complex seeking answers and clarity on what led to the gunfire.
According to Houston police, officers arrived minutes after 8 p.m. and found the woman suffering from at least one gunshot wound. She was taken in critical condition and later died. The apartment sits along W. Tidwell between Antoine Drive and Bingle Road, in a cluster of older two-story buildings. Detectives interviewed witnesses who reported hearing a rapid series of shots near the doorway. One neighbor said the commotion started as people argued outside and then moved to the threshold of the unit, where the shooting erupted. “It was like it wouldn’t stop,” the neighbor said, describing the volley. Investigators canvassed for surveillance video and spent hours marking shell casings and documenting the scene.
Family members identified the victim as Shyta Campbell. Her sister, Kanneshia Penrice, said their last conversation was a week earlier and that Campbell sounded determined to reset her life. “Never knew it was going to be the last time I would just talk to my sister,” Penrice said. Police said Campbell did not reside at the Tidwell address and emphasized the three children inside were not injured. Detectives have not said how many rounds were fired or what caliber weapons were used. They also have not disclosed the precise number of shooters. A department spokesperson said investigators were reviewing witness statements and working to verify accounts that the dispute began outside before moving to the doorway.
The apartment complex and the surrounding Inwood area have seen sporadic violent incidents in recent years, according to city crime summaries, with several shootings reported along the W. Tidwell corridor. Friday’s killing adds to a string of weekend investigations that have kept Houston homicide detectives busy at the start of the year. Residents of the complex said security cameras are mounted at select entries but coverage is uneven. Some neighbors told reporters they ducked for cover when they heard the shots and only later realized children had been inside the unit. The ages of the children — two six-year-olds and an eight-year-old — underscored the narrow margin between a deadly outcome for adults and a near-miss for kids in the home.
Police said a woman was detained Friday night for questioning and later released. A man was taken into custody around 2 a.m. Saturday for additional interviews, according to preliminary information shared with media, but investigators have not announced an arrest or filed charges. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences will confirm the victim’s identity and manner of death. Detectives said they are collecting surveillance footage from nearby buildings and checking for any doorbell cameras that may show the dispute before the shooting. Officials have not announced a briefing or released a detailed timeline of events, and no court dates have been posted in connection with the case.
By Saturday afternoon, yellow tape still ringed the walkway outside the unit. Neighbors stepped around numbered evidence markers while crime-scene technicians photographed the threshold and walls. “You could hear kids crying after the shots,” said one resident who lives across the courtyard. Another neighbor described officers guiding the children from the apartment as medics worked on the victim. Penrice said her family is leaning on faith and waiting for updates. “She talked about moving forward,” she said. “We want the truth about what happened,” she added, calling the loss crushing for relatives who described Campbell as loving and stubborn in equal measure.
As of Monday morning, police said the investigation remains open with no suspect publicly named. Detectives plan additional interviews and evidence testing early this week while awaiting the medical examiner’s confirmation of the woman’s identity and official cause of death. Further updates are expected as investigators review video and witness statements collected since Friday night.
Author note: Last updated January 19, 2026.