A homeowner reported hearing gunfire and a crash before finding a man dead in a front yard early Sunday.
HOUSTON, Texas — Houston police are investigating a fatal shooting after officers found a man dead in a front yard and a crashed car along a curb in the Acres Homes area early Sunday morning.
Officers were sent to the area of Marcolin Street and Wheatley Street at about 3:30 a.m., according to police. Investigators said the case quickly became a homicide inquiry after officers found the victim outside a home with gunshot wounds. The man’s identity had not been released by Sunday, and police had not announced an arrest or named any suspect.
According to investigators, a homeowner told officers they heard gunfire and then a crash moments later. When the resident went outside, they found the man lying dead in the yard. Police said a car had also crashed on the curb nearby. Investigators have not said whether the victim was inside that vehicle, struck after the shooting, or trying to get away when the crash happened.
Police said the man suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. Other local reports said shell casings were found near the body, adding to evidence that the shooting happened close to where the victim was discovered. Investigators were also examining a white car seen near the scene. Authorities said there were no known witnesses who saw the shooting itself, leaving detectives to rely on physical evidence, neighborhood canvassing and any available surveillance footage.
The killing added to another weekend homicide investigation in Houston, where police often begin early fact-finding with a narrow timeline and little confirmed information. In this case, the known sequence remains short: a report of gunfire, an almost immediate crash and a dead man found outside a home in a residential part of northwest Houston. Acres Homes is one of Houston’s historic neighborhoods, and a shooting scene there in the early morning hours drew homicide detectives to a block that otherwise appeared quiet.
As of Sunday afternoon, investigators had not released the victim’s age in an official briefing carried by every outlet, though one local report described him as a man in his early 20s. Police had also not said what led to the shooting, whether more than one person was involved, or if the crash was part of the attack or happened as the victim tried to flee. The Harris County medical examiner was expected to help confirm the exact cause and manner of death.
For now, the case remains open with Houston Police Department homicide detectives leading the investigation. The next major update is likely to come when police identify the victim, release any suspect details or say whether video from nearby homes or businesses helps explain what happened before the shots were fired.
Author note: Last updated April 6, 2026.