Police said an angry customer fired toward the restaurant after being refused service.
HOUSTON, Texas — Houston police were searching Monday for a man they said opened fire outside a Chacho’s restaurant on the North Freeway after employees refused to serve him, striking a woman in the parking lot during the burst of gunfire.
The woman, described by police as an uninvolved customer, was taken to a hospital and was expected to recover. Investigators said the shooter left before officers arrived, and they were still working to identify him and track down the vehicle he used to flee the area.
The shooting was reported about 9 p.m. Saturday at the Chacho’s near Tidwell Road, just off Interstate 45 in north Houston. Police said the man became angry after being turned away, walked to his car, retrieved a gun and fired multiple shots toward the building. One of the rounds hit a woman who was in the parking lot, investigators said, and at least one shot damaged the restaurant, including a window that was shattered by gunfire.
An employee, Daniel Lopez, said he was working inside when the first shots rang out. “I heard the first two pops, and when I heard the first two pops, I turned around,” Lopez said in an interview at the scene. He said his first thought was to make sure he and others near him were not hit as people reacted to the gunfire and moved for cover.
Police said the injured woman was hit once and was taken by emergency responders to a hospital, where she was listed in stable condition. Officers did not release her name. Authorities also did not identify the suspect, saying Monday that they did not yet have a confirmed description that could be shared publicly. No other injuries were reported.
Lopez said the confrontation appeared to start over an order and quickly escalated. “What I do know is that he became irate when his order had got canceled,” Lopez said. He added that he did not know what the customer was thinking, and he described the scene as chaotic as employees and customers tried to figure out where the shots were coming from and who had been hit.
Police said the suspect went back to his vehicle after being refused service and then returned to fire at the restaurant from outside, sending people inside scrambling away from windows and doors. Investigators said they were reviewing information from the scene and looking for any video that may show the man’s movements, his vehicle, or the direction he drove after the shooting.
The case was being handled by Houston police investigators who track assaults involving firearms, and detectives were expected to interview witnesses who were inside and outside at the time of the shooting. Police said the woman who was shot was not part of the dispute and was in the wrong place when the shots were fired.
Photos from the scene showed damage consistent with gunfire, including glass broken out of a window. Officers said the shooter did not stay at the location long, and they arrived to find the suspect gone and the victim already receiving aid.
Authorities said the next steps included collecting physical evidence, documenting the damage to the property and working to identify the suspect. Police said tips from the public could be important because the shooter left quickly and the most useful leads may come from people who saw the suspect in the parking lot or noticed a car leaving right after the gunfire.
Investigators asked anyone with information to contact the Houston Police Department or Crime Stoppers, which can take anonymous tips. Police said they would also continue checking for surveillance video from nearby businesses and traffic cameras that might show the suspect’s route.
Lopez said he saw the wounded woman after the shots stopped and people began helping. “She was lying on the ground,” he said, describing a moment when employees and customers realized someone had been hit. He said others were already putting pressure on the wound by the time he got close enough to see what was happening.
By Monday morning, police said the investigation remained active and the suspect was still at large. Detectives said they planned to follow up with witnesses and review any available video, with the goal of releasing more identifying details once they can be confirmed.
Author note: Last updated February 9, 2026.