A customer and security guard were critically wounded after police said an argument over bringing a dog inside escalated Friday night.
HOUSTON, TX — A dispute over a dog inside a southwest Houston grocery store escalated into an exchange of gunfire Friday night, leaving a customer and a security guard critically wounded and sending people at nearby businesses running for safety, according to police and local reports.
Houston police said officers responded shortly after 8 p.m. Oct. 9 to a disturbance at Great Wall Supermarket in the 9800 block of Bellaire Boulevard, near the Sam Houston Tollway. Investigators said a man believed to be in his 20s had entered the store with a woman described as his girlfriend and their dog. A security guard told them the dog was not allowed inside because of health concerns, police said. The disagreement escalated, and authorities said the man and the security guard exchanged gunfire.
Houston Police Department Lt. Larry Crowson said an officer arriving at the scene heard gunshots and called for additional officers. Police found the two wounded men and provided assistance before they were taken to a hospital. Both were reported in critical condition and undergoing treatment after the shooting. Authorities said there was no continuing threat to the public and no other people were reported injured.
The woman who entered the store with the customer was not hurt, and neither was the dog, police said. She remained at the scene as investigators worked to determine exactly how the confrontation developed and what happened immediately before the gunfire. Police had not released the identities of the customer or security guard as of Saturday night.
The shooting caused panic beyond the grocery store. Surveillance video obtained by FOX 26 Houston from Juicy Box, a nearby restaurant, showed people rushing through the business toward the kitchen as they tried to get away from the gunfire. Employees told the station that about 15 to 20 people moved toward the rear of the restaurant as word spread that shots had been fired nearby.
Claire Pec Sapon, an employee at the restaurant, told FOX 26 she was working in the back with her manager when people suddenly began running into the kitchen. Other employees described following the crowd toward the rear of the business as the disturbance unfolded. Their accounts offered a view of the confusion outside the immediate shooting scene as customers and workers in the busy commercial area searched for safety.
Police have described the confrontation as an argument that began after the security guard objected to the dog being inside the grocery store. Authorities have not publicly released additional details explaining how the verbal dispute progressed to gunfire, including who fired first. No motive beyond the reported dispute over the dog had been announced.
No criminal charges had been announced in the available reports Saturday. Investigators were reviewing the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including surveillance footage and statements from people at the scene. Police have not publicly identified either wounded man or released an updated medical condition beyond the initial reports that both were critically injured.
The investigation remains active. Houston police said there were no suspects at large and no ongoing threat to the public following the shooting. Authorities had not announced additional arrests, charges or other major developments as of Saturday night.
Author note: Last updated October 10, 2026.