- Police confirmed that two people were shot and killed on a freeway in Houston during rush hour on Thursday evening.
- The shooting was reported to authorities around 6 p.m. on the East Freeway in Houston.
- Though a motive is still to be determined, the incident was not incited by road rage nor did it seem random, police said.
- Police say the shooter is still on the loose.
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Two people were shot and killed on a freeway in Houston, Texas during rush hour Thursday evening, and the gunman fled the scene, police said.
An accident was reported to authorities at 5:55 p.m. on the East Freeway in Houston, and when police arrived on scene they found that a shooting had happened, according to CNN.
Houston Police assistant chief Bobby Dobbins told reporters that the incident started after two cars crashed into each other on the interstate.
“One of the vehicles struck the other vehicle and spun it out … similar to a pit maneuver,” he said, according to CNN.
HPD investigators are on the scene of a fatal shooting that occurred at 5:55 pm at IH10 East Freeway at Federal Road where 2 people have been shot and are deceased. The freeway will be closed for investigation. Avoid the area and use alternate routes. A PIO is en route. #hounews
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) August 8, 2019
A witness described the scene, saying a man got out of his car with a gun "just shooting in the middle of [the] freeway."
Police said two passengers exited the vehicle that had just crashed into the other vehicle, and one of the passengers started firing at the vehicle that had just been hit, according to CNN. There were narcotics found in the shooting suspect's car, and witnesses told police that it looked like the gunman was armed with an assault rifle-style long gun.
"He got in front of the vehicle and fired rounds into the front windshield of the vehicle," Dobbins said. "Road rage? An accident? Narcotics? We just don't know yet so I won't speculate," Dobbins said.
Unreal scene just witnessed on I-10 in Houston, east bound lanes at Holland, just outside the east loop...a guy gets out of his car with gun just shooting in the middle of freeway. Unbelievable.
— Daniel Gotera (@DTGoteraKHOU) August 8, 2019
"A major accident makes you mad on the way home, but seeing something like this to a normal citizen ... witnesses are very disturbed," Dobbins said, according to USA Today.
A witness told police that he chased off the suspect after grabbing a pistol he keeps in his car and firing at him.
The newspaper reported that the victims were described as middle-aged black men and were pronounced dead at the scene.