The mother of a suspect related to the robbery of a Houston restaurant earlier this month said that the customer who fatally shot her son "abused" her son during their encounter.
In an interview, the deceased suspect's mother said he did not hate his son's shooter, who remained unidentified. However, she questioned why the man did not stop shooting her son even after he was already dead on the ground after committing a crime.
Houston Restaurant Fatal Shooting
She said she understood that the customer had to shoot her son because the latter did something wrong. But she questioned the man's reasoning for shooting the suspect four times in the back and another four after he fell to the floor dead.
The remark came after Houston police reported the original story of an armed Black man who suddenly entered the Ranchito Taqueria on South Gessner near Bellaire Boulevard shortly before 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2023, demanding money from patrons as well as their wallets, as per Blaze Media.
During the incident, one of the customers seated inside pulled out a gun when the robber turned his back to him. While publicly released video footage of the shooting had the moment of the shooting paused, the entire video showed the customer shooting the Black man multiple times, with nine shots being fired.
Law enforcement personnel also said that the customer who shot the suspect retrieved the stolen money and gave them back to the other patrons. Furthermore, video footage of the incident revealed that the man called out and said, "Come get your money."
After the patron shot the suspect, he found out that the gun the robber was holding was fake and threw it away in anger. Investigators later revealed that the Black man was armed with a plastic pistol.
Read Also: Ana Walshe Case Update
Grand Jury Case
A Texas grand jury will consider the case following the fatal shooting, said officials on Monday. The customer was questioned by detectives who kept his identity under wraps and told that they had not arrested or charged him regarding the killing, according to NBC News.
The suspect in the incident was later identified to be 30-year-old Eric Eugene Washington, who responding police officers found wearing all-black clothing, a black ski mask, and gloves. Paramedics immediately pronounced the man dead at the scene.
The customer who shot the Black man is now the suspect in a grand jury investigation following his questioning. A released statement said that after consultation with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, authorities determined that the shooting will be referred to a grand jury.
The situation comes as Texas was rife with grief after one person was killed and four others were injured during an overnight shooting where more than 50 shots were reportedly fired. During a news conference, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said that the gunshots were fired in the parking lot of "some type of club/bar" in the area where police responded at around 2:00 a.m., said CNN.
Related Article : Brooklyn Girl Burned to Death in House Fire
