HOUSTON —A disgruntled lawyer wearing military-style apparel with old Nazi emblems had two weapons and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition when he randomly shot at drivers in a Houston neighborhood Monday morning before he was killed by police, authorities said.
Nine people were injured on the street in front of a condominium complex; six were shot and three had eye injuries from flying glass. One person was in critical condition, officials said.
Houston Homicide Captain Dwayne Ready and Interim Police Chief Martha Montalvo did not identify the man and did not have information about a motive. A bomb-squad robot examined a Porsche that police said belonged to the gunman; Texas motor vehicle records showed the car is licensed to Nathan DeSai at an address at The Oaks at West University condo complex.
Jason Delgado, the property manager of the complex, confirmed police were going through DeSai’s residence, where Ready said vintage military items dating to the Civil War and other guns were found.
Authorities received reports of the shootings about 6:30 a.m., and the man began firing at officers when they arrived, they said. He had two legally purchased guns — a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a semi-automatic rifle commonly known as a Tommy gun —and a knife, Ready said. He also noted that there were 75 spent casings at the scene from officers and the gunman.
Ready said nine officers — five with the Houston Police Department and four with two other local agencies — ‘‘engaged the suspect who was shooting randomly at passersby as well as anybody he could put his sights on.’’
Mayor Sylvester Turner told KTRK-TV that DeSai was a lawyer who was ‘‘disgruntled’’ and was ‘‘either fired or had a bad relationship’’ with his law firm.
But DeSai’s former law partner, Kenneth McDaniel, disputed that assertion, saying they jointly closed their 12-year-old law firm in February due to economic conditions related to the energy industry downturn.
‘‘He went his way with his practice and I went with mine,’’ McDaniel said. ‘‘All I can say it’s a horrible situation.’’
The entrance to the condo complex, which is in southwest Houston near the affluent enclave of West University Place, was blocked with police tape. Several cars with bullet holes were at a nearby strip mall.
Jennifer Molleda and her husband, Alan Wakim, live in the same condo complex as Nathan DeSai. Though she heard gunshots about 6:12 a.m. and called 911, her husband left for work. The 45-year-old called him not long after, and he told her ‘‘I’m hit, I’m hit.’’
Molleda found Wakim, 49, several blocks away at the strip mall. His Mustang had two shots that went through the windshield and narrowly missed his head, and he told her he saw a red laser beam before the shots were fired.
He was taken to a hospital. to be treated
‘‘He got out of his car, we hugged, we cried,’’ Molleda said, adding that after she saw everything, she believes DeSai was ‘‘aiming to kill.’’
Molleda said she didn’t know DeSai very well and described him as quiet. ‘‘He’s a normal, average Joe,’’ she said.
Lee Williams left his home in the neighborhood upon hearing gunshots and began directing traffic away from the condo complex, noting that people usually cut through the area to avoid busier intersections.
One car ignored him, he said, and was immediately shot at. Williams couldn’t see the gunman because it was dark but believed he saw the muzzle flashes.
‘‘Whatever cars were going by, he was shooting at them,’’ the 55-year-old said, noting he heard at least 50 gunshots over 40 or so minutes. As he was being interviewed, neighbors came by and patted him on the back, thanking him for keeping people safe.