HOUSTON — Two teens are dead and multiple others are injured after a shooting at what police are calling a makeshift club in north Houston.
The shooting happened around 11:20 p.m. Saturday on Jensen Drive at Topping Street. Police said it happened at a venue called "The Curfew Club."
Houston police said that when officers arrived at the scene, they saw many juveniles and young adults running out of the club. Several people were injured and were treated at the scene.
Police said there is no information on a suspect or how the shooting started.
A 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, and a 14-year-old girl was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Four other people were also hurt in the shooting, including a 13-year-old girl who police said was in critical condition. The ages of the remaining three are 17, 18 and 19. They are expected to be OK.
Assistant Chief Luis Menendez-Sierra urged witnesses to come forward with information.
"We are assuring the public that we are going to put all our resources in finding out what happened here tonight and who did this so we can bring them to justice," he said. "If you were here tonight, we need your help."
In an update Saturday afternoon, police said some witnesses have come forward. They told investigators they saw a tall, thin man wearing all black clothing, a black hooded sweatshirt, and a black mask shooting into the crowd. HPD said they have not identified a suspect yet.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz were also at the scene. Whitmire spoke briefly.
"I'm here to support our first responders, learn the circumstances of a tragedy," Whitmire said. "I'll be following this for several days to see how something like this is created—an impromptu party, I'd call it."
Whitmire said the party was unregulated and security either wasn't there or took off after the shooting.
"It's a tragedy, I feel for the families. We ought to keep them in our prayers," Whitmire said. "We lost some young people tonight that was very preventable if they didn't come to locations such as this. So let me go back to learn what I can."
The Instagram page for "The Curfew Club" describes the venue as "the hottest teen club in Houston." Videos posted to the venue's Instagram stories showed a large crowd of people inside at around 10 p.m. Saturday night.
KHOU 11 News looked into "The Curfew Club" to learn more about the so-called pop-up parties. Our search of the business address led us to the name of the club owner.
We then searched for their home address and attempted to make contact. A woman answered the door, but as soon as we identified ourselves as KHOU 11 News and began to ask questions, she backed into the home and closed the door.
The area around the venue was still littered with red solo cups, beer bottles and shoes Sunday. Kimlon Ward and Deanna Freeman came to the scene of the shooting Sunday evening, after learning that "The Curfew Club" is located at the former site of their church, Restoration Houston Ministry.
"We had to come and see because we couldn't believe it. We couldn't believe it. This was our church," Ward said.
Freeman said she was heartbroken to learn teenagers were killed and hurt in the shooting.
"We wanted to pray for the children that lost their lives here, for the young lady that's in critical condition," Freeman said.
Freeman, Ward and other members of the community are now demanding justice.
"This is not the first party that's been there. There's been multiple parties here, but this is the first one that we've heard of that has been a tragedy," Freeman said. "It's really a sad situation."
KHOU 11 News also spoke to a woman on the phone who said her niece is the 14-year-old girl who was killed. She told us the family is still processing what happened, adding that they are devastated by this loss.
Watch the update HPD and Mayor Whitmire gave at the scene: