Manhunt Ends for Suspect in Texas Thanksgiving Dinner Killings

A man sought in the deadly shooting of his ex-wife and a man at a home during Thanksgiving dinner in Houston, Texas, has been apprehended, police said.

The Houston Police Department posted an update on Twitter stating that the suspect has been taken into custody after nearly a daylong search, and he faces counts of capital murder and aggravated assault.

"The suspect, 38, is in custody & has been questioned by HPD homicide detectives. He is facing 2 counts of capital murder & 2 counts of agg assault," Houston police tweeted.

The department said it will disclose the suspect's identity and release his booking photo after formal charges are filed.

The gunman critically injured two others during the shooting, including a 15-year-old boy, who were later take to the hospital, according to Houston police Assistant Chief Patricia Cantu. She told reporters during a press briefing late Thursday night that the teen was in stable condition, but the other victim, a male, was listed as critical.

Cantu said the people in the house had just finished eating Thanksgiving dinner when the gunman entered the home through the backdoor and opened fire.

"The suspect discharged multiple rounds and even reloaded his weapon at the scene," she said.

"This is a very sad situation, it is Thanksgiving, people are supposed to celebrate with their families. ... We are praying for the families," she added.

When contacted by Newsweek, Houston police didn't reveal further details about the arrest or the potential motive of the shooter, as the killings are still under investigation. However, a department spokesperson told Newsweek that this was a "domestic violence incident."

The U.S. has seen over 600 mass shootings this year, according to the latest data by The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a nonprofit that tracks shootings across the country. The organization said 2022 marked the third consecutive year that the U.S. surpassed 600.

GVA defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot or killed in a single incident, excluding the shooter.

On Tuesday, a Walmart manager killed six people during a meeting in the break room of a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia.

The gunman, 31-year-old Andre Bing, was found dead when officers arrived at the store minutes later. Police believe he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Bing was armed with a handgun and several magazines of ammunition, according to police.

Another mass shooting occurred at an LGBTQ club in Colorado on Saturday, leaving five dead and over a dozen injured after a gunman used a long rifle to open fire inside Club Q. Authorities later identified the suspect as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich.

The club shooting has shaken the LGBTQ community in Colorado Springs, with one member saying people are "broken."

"Club Q is the only LGBTQ space in Colorado Springs and we don't even have that anymore. What are we going to do? How do we move on from this? We can't. We're shattered. We're broken," Joshua Thurman, 34, told reporter Shelly Bradbury of The Denver Post on Sunday.

Newsweek has reached out to Houston police for comment.

Update [11/25/2022] 8:25 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include additional information.