Police found scattered shell casings, suspected narcotics and bullet-damaged vehicles but initially found no shooting victim.
HOUSTON, Texas — Houston police are investigating whether multiple people exchanged gunfire in Montrose after officers found numerous shell casings, suspected narcotics and bullet-damaged vehicles near the scene where a 16-year-old was critically injured.
The amount of physical evidence found along Colquitt Street led investigators to consider the possibility of more than one shooter. Police had not confirmed that theory Tuesday and had not determined who fired the shots or what prompted the violence.
Officers were called at about 9:30 p.m. Monday to the 700 block of Colquitt Street, near Stanford Street. They found shell casings scattered across the roadway and a vehicle struck repeatedly by bullets, police said.
Investigators also located narcotics in a nearby grassy area or bushes. Police believe the drugs may have been discarded, but authorities had not publicly said who possessed them or whether they were directly connected to the shooting.
Several vehicles in the area were struck by gunfire, according to reports citing the Houston Police Department. Authorities did not immediately release a total number of damaged vehicles or say whether investigators had determined which vehicle was the intended target.
Despite the evidence of extensive gunfire, officers initially found no injured person at the scene. During the investigation, police learned that a 16-year-old with gunshot wounds had been taken by a passing driver to a nearby hospital.
The driver had seen the teenager stumbling along the road, stopped to check on him and then transported him in a private vehicle, police said. Hospital workers determined that the teen was critically injured and arranged his transfer to a higher-level trauma center.
The teenager’s condition prevented detectives from interviewing him. Without his statement, investigators did not have a confirmed account of where he was when the shooting began, how many people were involved or whether those responsible left on foot or in vehicles.
Police had not released a suspect description or announced any arrests as of Tuesday. Authorities also had not identified additional shooting victims.
Investigators were examining the shell casings, damaged vehicles and other evidence as they worked to reconstruct the sequence of events. The case remained open, and key details about the shooters and the cause of the confrontation were still unknown.
Author note: Last updated July 14, 2026.