Suspicious Fire Suggests Murder in Houston

HOUSTON, TEXAS, FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED OUT SUNDAY NIGHT to a commercial fire in a 2-story building. They found fire in the grocery on the lower level and in an apartment above the store. The Houston Chronicle reports:

The Houston Police Department received a call about 7:15 p.m. of gunshots near the intersection of Brooks and Common. About 10 minutes later, the Houston Fire Department received calls of a fire at a two-story building in the area.

KHOU-TV

While firefighters were searching the charred apartment above the Family Grocery-Washateria in the 1100 block of Brooks, they discovered three tenants dead inside.

Bodies were found in a closet, a bedroom and near the balcony. Officials said it also appears that fires were started in different parts of the building.

“All indications thus far are that foul play is involved,” HPD spokesman John Cannon said, “and that the fire was set to cover something up.”

Neighbors are saying that they heard gunshots a few minutes before the fire broke out and one witness told police that he saw one of the apartment’s tenants leaving the building and carrying a pistol at the same time.

KRIV-TV Ch.7 has a video report: