A gunman opened fire early Sunday at a sports bar in Cleveland, Texas, killing one person and wounding five others before fleeing in a white van, Liberty County Sheriff's Office officials said.
The suspect, described by investigators as a man who had been drinking alone at the bar, left the Alas Locas sports bar just before midnight and returned about 2:30 a.m. armed with a handgun, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Capt. David Myers said. The shooter fired at least 20 rounds at patrons on the bar’s outdoor patio and again through the front door, authorities said.
One man died at the scene, and five other people were injured, sheriff’s office officials and local media reported. The wounded included four men and one woman; at least two were described as critically injured. Myers told local station KTRK that the man who was killed had been at the bar with his wife when the shooting began.
Video captured outside the bar showed a white, full-sized van with no side windows leaving the scene at high speed; the vehicle was seen striking a maroon car as it fled, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators believe the suspect drove away in that van after firing the shots.
Myers said the shooter ordered a beer and "was not really conversing with anyone for about an hour prior to the shooting." After paying in cash and leaving the bar in silence, the man returned armed with what investigators believe was a .40- or .45-caliber handgun and began shooting patrons who were eating and drinking on the deck.
Rangers from the Texas Department of Public Safety are assisting the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation, Myers said. Authorities have not released the suspect’s identity or a motive, and they continued searching for leads Monday morning.
Local residents expressed shock at the violence in a community they described as typically quiet. "It’s nice. It’s not like drunk people everywhere or anything," Nina Jaytan told KHOU 11. "This is the first time we ever heard that something that bad had happened in this community right here."
Sunday’s attack is the second mass shooting at a Houston-area bar this year. Six people were wounded in a March shooting at Latinas Sports Bar, underscoring ongoing concerns about gun violence in the region.
Investigators collected evidence at the scene and reviewed surveillance footage as they worked to identify and locate the suspect. Officials asked anyone with information or footage related to the incident to contact the sheriff’s office, saying tips could assist in locating the vehicle and the suspect.
The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately release the names of the victims. The investigation remained active Monday, with authorities urging anyone with relevant information to come forward as they seek to determine a motive and secure arrests.