HOUSTON – Police are actively searching for a man who they say boarded a METRO bus and shot a woman in the head before fleeing.
The woman later died.
KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding later confirmed that a man arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound, and authorities believe he was also shot on the bus. The man was transported in a private vehicle. Their condition is not known at this time.
Authorities are unsure if the second victim was an innocent bystander, or possibly the intended target of the shooting.
The shooting happened near the intersection of Walnut Bend and Richmond in west Houston.
METRO Police says the shooting happened on METRO bus #2611 on Route 161 at approximately 2:32 p.m.
METRO says after the shooting, the bus driver immediately stopped the bus and all passengers got off.
A shooting on a METRO bus in Houston’s Westchase neighborhood killed a young woman and injured another man on January 7, 2025. (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)
According to METRO Police Chief Ban Tien, the information they originally received indicated there were two suspects. However, they have determined there was only one suspect involved.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon, Tien said the woman, who was in her mid-20s, died at a hospital. He also said it appears the suspect was targeting another person on the bus and the woman who was shot was an innocent bystander.
The search continues for the suspect who fled toward a nearby apartment complex after the shooting.
Helicopters, drones, and a tactical unit from HPD are being used to search for the suspect. He is considered armed and dangerous.
Tien says the suspect appears to be between 17-20 years old and was wearing a black hoodie and light-colored gray shorts.
“2:30 in the afternoon, I know there was a lot of folks out there, I am confident that a lot of witnesses saw where the suspect went, I just ask them to come forward to let us know who that person is,” Tien said.
KPRC 2 News Reporter Corley Peel spoke with Alvin King, a man who was on the bus when the shooting happened.
King described the traumatic experience of hearing gunfire erupt on the bus.
“Boom, boom,” King recalled. “I was scared. I thought I was next.”
The woman, seated four rows behind King, was shot in the head. Despite the danger, King rushed to her side, trying to save her.
King hopes the woman’s killer is brought to justice.
Wednesday’s fatal shooting is the latest in a series of violent crimes involving Houston METRO buses.
Earlier this week, a former METRO bus driver was charged after chasing down and stabbing a man following a dispute over a missed stop.
Last July, another man was arrested and charged with murder after fatally shooting someone during an argument on board a METRO bus.
SEE ALSO: Suspect in fatal Houston METRO bus shooting arrested
Anyone with any information is urged to contact METRO Police, the Houston Police Department, or Crime Stoppers.
Commissioner Lesley Briones released a statement on the METRO bus shooting:
“Today, a woman lost her life to senseless gun violence while riding a METRO bus in west Houston. My heart goes out to her family, and I am praying for them tonight. Public safety is my top priority, and I stand in solidarity with our law enforcement partners who are investigating this case. Justice must be served.”
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