A man dressed in a movie-inspired costume is hospitalized in critical condition following a shooting early Thursday morning at a Houston apartment complex. Law enforcement officials believe the injured individual was intoxicated and mistakenly targeted the wrong residential unit.
The incident took place at approximately 2:26 a.m. in the 2300 block of Bering Drive, situated in the city’s Greater Uptown district, according to Lieutenant R. Willkens of the Houston Police Department. The man sustained a gunshot wound to the upper body and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where police confirmed he remained in critical condition by Thursday afternoon.
According to investigators, a resident was sleeping on his couch when he was startled awake by someone rattling the doorknob and attempting to kick the front door open. His girlfriend and their one-year-old child were asleep in a nearby bedroom. After waking his partner to verify that neither of them recognized the person outside, the resident armed himself with an AR-15 rifle and opened the door.
Authorities reported that the confrontation escalated quickly when the visitor allegedly tried to push his way past the threshold, repeatedly shouting, “This is my apartment.” The resident attempted to hold his ground and push the intruder back before firing a single round from the rifle, striking the man in the upper body.
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First responders and police noted that the wounded individual was wearing an orange suit and top hat closely matching the outfit worn by Jim Carrey’s character in the 1994 comedy film “Dumb and Dumber,” which also starred Jeff Daniels. Investigators believe the man actually lives in a different unit within the same apartment complex and had likely consumed alcohol before approaching the incorrect door.
Both men involved in the shooting are believed to be in their 30s. The resident and his girlfriend escaped physical injury and are cooperating with the active police investigation. Authorities have withheld the identities of both individuals, and police have not yet determined whether criminal charges will be filed in connection with the incident.
