Mario Arevalo believes the gunman may have meant to target his duplex neighbor.
HOUSTON, Texas — A Houston bartender recovering from gunshot wounds to both legs said he was asleep inside his northside duplex March 5 when a gunman opened fire into the home.
Mario Arevalo said the shooting has kept him from returning to work and forced him to move from the duplex in the 100 block of Goldenrod. No arrests have been announced, and Houston police said information shared by neighbors about a possible suspect remains unconfirmed.
A neighbor’s doorbell camera recorded a small car pulling up in the early morning hours. The video shows a man get out with a weapon, walk from the garage area and begin firing. Arevalo said the noise woke him at about 3 a.m. “I realized it was a gun,” he said. “That’s when I tried to get out of bed.”
Arevalo said he then saw blood and called 911. He was hit in both legs and later had surgery to remove a bullet and fragments. Weeks after the shooting, doctors removed another bullet that had lodged in his big toe. His Yorkshire terrier was not hurt.
Arevalo said he believes the shooter may have intended to target the person living on the other side of the duplex. Neighbors gave police video and social media posts that they believe may point to a suspect and intended target, but investigators have not confirmed that account.
The injuries have stopped Arevalo from returning to his bartending job, which requires him to stand through his shifts. Friends helped him move out after the shooting. “I just want justice,” Arevalo said. “I just want the right thing to happen.”
As of Friday, April 24, Houston police had not announced an arrest. Arevalo said his focus remains on healing while investigators continue reviewing the evidence.
Author note: Last updated April 24, 2026.