Houston Shooting: Investigators Still Searching for Clues in Shooting Spree that Injured 9

HOUSTON, TX — Nathan DeSai, 46, was wearing a military-style uniform with Nazi paraphernalia when he began shooting at motorists in his West University neighborhood Monday morning as many were leaving to go to work or school, injuring nine before he was shot and killed by police, authorities said.

The shooting was reported around 6:30 a.m. on Law Street, near a shopping center on the northwest corner of Weslayan and Bissonnet streets.

By the time police arrived, nine people had either sustained gunshot wounds or were wounded by flying glass from car windows shattered during the ordeal.

Three were treated at the scene and released, and six others were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

Less than 12 hours after the shooting near Rice University early Monday, Interim Houston Police Chief Martha Montalvo was joined by members of the FBI, ATF and the Houston Police Homicide Division in the investigation of the mass shooting.

Moleda Wakin, whose husband was among those injured in the shooting spree, heard the gunshots and immediately called her husband, who’d just left their apartment.

Wakin said she heard the fear in his voice when she called him and ran outside to see if he was badly hurt.

"There were two bullet holes through the windshield — driver’s side — another bullet hole in the driver’s side seat, glass everywhere, and his eyes were full of glass,” she said. “There was blood splatter...but he wasn’t hit...He was alive.”

Scott Smolensk, who would normally be up walking his dog early in the morning, told KPRC that for some reason, he slept in.

"Technically I should be dead right now. I would have come face to face with the shooter," he said. "I feel very lucky."

Montalvo said officers from the Houston Police Department, Bellaire Police and West University Police arrived within minutes of the first call to dispatchers and quickly located the gunman, who immediately fired on officers.

Police exchanged gunfire with the shooter, who was killed a short time later by police.

Authorities said as many as 75 shell casings were found at the scene.

DeSai, who’d practiced criminal and family law for 18 years, was a partner in the McDaniel and DeSai law firm for 12 years until earlier this year.

In February, DeSai and his partner Ken McDaniel dissolved their partnership and went their separate ways because of economic reasons.

McDaniel said he hadn’t spoken with DeSai since the split and would be shocked if the shooter was in fact his former law partner.

“He was a damn good lawyer, and I was proud to be his partner,” McDaniel said. “If he did do something like this, it’s out of character, it’s shocking and it’s upsetting.”

Prakash DeSai, Nathan’s father, told KPRC that his son was under considerable financial pressure after the split and that his solo law practice was floundering.

When the shooting began, witnesses reported seeing a man standing next to a Porsche casually reloading his handgun.

Police said the suspect had two weapons, a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a .45-caliber semi-automatic Thompson Carbine, while standing near his car.

Police estimate around 2,500 rounds of live ammunition were found.

Houston Police Department Capt. Dwayne Readey, who addressed the media during a press conference Monday, said officers were met with chaos when they arrived at the scene.

“One of the more complex issues was tending to both the injured citizens who were still in the line of fire, while engaging the suspect in live fire, and not necessarily exposing themselves to that risk, but at the same time moving those citizens to safety,” he said.

Montalvo said the other issue was effective communication with other officers and other agencies involved, as well as containing the incident.

“I think all the officers and paramedics did a fantastic job, in terms of doing that,” she said. “They were able to get the wounded out, as well as contain (the shooter) to a specific location, which was behind a tree.”

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