Police say the woman was visiting relatives of the man she was dating when he arrived and shot her in an apartment courtyard.
HOUSTON, Texas — Family members of a man accused of shooting the woman he was dating came to her aid Friday night after she was wounded in the courtyard of a southwest Houston apartment complex, police said.
The 39-year-old woman survived the shooting and was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Houston police said the suspected gunman, a 35-year-old man, left the complex after the shooting and remained at large as investigators continued searching for him.
Police said the woman had been visiting the man’s family at the apartment complex on Stella Link Road near the South Loop Freeway. She spoke with the man by phone before he came to the property to pick her up, according to investigators.
The two met in the courtyard shortly before 9 p.m. Police said the man pulled out a gun and shot the woman in the abdomen and leg. Investigators said he then pushed her to the ground and walked away from the scene.
The suspect’s relatives remained with the wounded woman and provided aid until first responders arrived, police said. Houston Fire Department personnel then transported her to an area hospital. Authorities described her condition as stable and said she was expected to recover.
Investigators have not said what happened during the conversation between the woman and the suspect before the shooting. Police said it was unclear whether an argument occurred, and no motive had been established in the information released publicly.
The suspect did not leave the area in his vehicle, according to police. Officers later found that vehicle abandoned a few blocks from the apartment complex, adding another focus to the search as investigators worked to determine where the man went after leaving the courtyard.
Authorities have not publicly released the suspect’s name or announced criminal charges in the information available Sunday. Police continued to describe him as a suspect being sought in connection with the shooting rather than as someone who had been convicted of a crime.
Police increased patrols in the area after the shooting but said they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the wider public. The investigation remains open, with the suspect’s location and the reason for the shooting still unknown.
Author note: Last updated November 8, 2026.