Two Houston men are facing felony charges after a prank they allegedly put on for social media caused River Oaks office workers to believe they were caught in an active shooter threat, authorities reported in Harris County court records Monday.
Edward Gonzales, 35, and Anthony Aguirre Jr., 38, were each charged with a felony Monday in connection with an alleged shooter scare at the River Oaks Tower at 3730 Kirby Drive last Wednesday, court records show. Authorities have issued arrest warrants for both men.
Gonzales and another man, who is named in a criminal complaint but has not been charged, walked into the building dressed as delivery men, court records allege. They screamed “safety check!” and began banging on doors, and Aguirre Jr. told police he was paid $200 to film the other men, according to the records.
The Chronicle reached out to an attorney listed for Gonzales, a social media account that may be connected to the men and the management company for the office building. An attorney was not listed for Aguirre Jr. as of Monday afternoon.
A woman who worked in the River Oaks Tower told police she heard someone yell “open or I’ll shoot” outside her door along with screaming, court records state. She was on a virtual call and directed the person on the other end to call 911 and report an active shooter in the building. She reported seeing a shadowy figure in the hall and heard someone pull on her doorknob, and told police she feared for her life and texted her husband and ex-husband, directing them to call 911 as well, the records state.
Another employee in a nearby office called the woman and told her three men stormed into his office while he was with a client, demanded he sign for an unknown package and drank from his and his client’s drinks, court records allege. The property manager of the building told police an active shooter threat was her worst nightmare and the event “scared her to death and probably took ten years off her life,” according to court records.
Houston police responded to calls from the office building with “all available units” Wednesday afternoon and placed the building on lockdown, court records state. People were held in a large room on the first floor while police scoured the building, then detained Aguirre Jr., who first stated he was looking for a job, the records state.
Aguirre was taken to the Harris County Joint Processing Center, where he allegedly told police Gonzales and the other man are based in Houston but travel around the country to record pranks for social media that involve targeting locations and baiting people into confrontations, court records state.
Aguirre told police he did not remember anyone threatening to shoot, the records state.
In October, Gonzales was charged with blocking traffic on Dallas Street by throwing cash into the roadway and urging another man to run into traffic to get it. Gonzales pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in that case in exchange for three days in county jail, court records show.