A Houston lawyer wearing a Nazi uniform — who neighbors claimed had recently been acting paranoid — opened fire near a strip mall, wounding nine people before he was shot dead by police, authorities said.
Shots rang out around 6:30 a.m. Monday in southwest Houston near an intersection with a grocery store, Walgreens and Chuck E. Cheese.
The attacker, identified in local reports as 46-year-old attorney Nathan Desai, used a tree near his car for cover as he exchanged gunfire with several officers in a nearby neighborhood before he was killed, officials said at an afternoon press conference.
Six people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, including one person in critical condition and another in serious condition. Both are expected to survive. Three more suffered minor injuries from shattered glass.
The suspect’s name was not released by authorities despite widespread reports identifying him as the owner of a Porsche where investigators found weapons.
The gunman was wearing a Nazi uniform, KPRC-TV reported, citing law enforcement sources.
Houston police’s Dwayne Ready would only confirm that the shooter was wearing vintage military-style apparel.
Ready said that Nazi emblems were found on the shooter, along with a .45-caliber handgun, a “Tommy Gun” and roughly 2,600 rounds of ammunition. Both weapons were purchased legally at least five years ago, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Officers searching the shooter’s vehicle crowded around a cop holding a notebook emblazoned with a swastika that was found in the car, video shows. More Nazi paraphernalia was found in his apartment along with military memorabilia and other guns.
Officials have not speculated on any motive for the attacks and an FBI spokesman said that there is “no nexus to terrorism.”
Mayor Sylvester Turner, who is in Cuba for a trade mission, told KTRK that the lawyer was “disgruntled” and “was either fired or had a bad relationship with this law firm.”
But a man who identified himself as DeSai’s former law partner claimed they had to shutter their 12-year-old law firm in February due to financial reasons.
“He went his way with his practice and I went with mine,” Kenneth McDaniel said. “All I can say it’s a horrible situation. I’m sad for everyone involved.”
DeSai’s father, Prakash DeSai, echoed McDaniel’s comments in an interview with KTRK.
“He’s upset about the law practice not going well — financial reasons,” he said, adding he had dinner with his son less than 12 hours before the shocking shooting.
John Elmore, a property manager for The Oaks condo apartment complex where DeSai allegedly lived, told the local TV station DeSai had been acting erratically for the past two months.
Elmore said it first started on Aug. 4 when DeSai confronted a group of roofers with a gun. Residents had been duly informed about the roofers, who were there to make some repairs, Elmore said.
“(The roofers) were scared for their life,” Elmore said. “They called their boss and said somebody pointed directly at them, yelled something they didn’t know what it was, but they felt like they were going to get shot.”
Then last week, DeSai became defensive and refused to let anyone into his apartment — even though he had called to complain about a plumbing issue, Elmore said.
Authorities do not believe any other suspects were involved in the strip mall rampage.
Witness Lee Williams said that he heard at least 50 gunshots over the course of 40 minutes and that the shooter would open fire at cars as they came near the condo complex where he lived.
With News Wire Services
