An unknown gunman fired multiple shots into state Senator John Whitmire’s office in the Heights early Thursday morning. Law enforcement recovered four bullets from Whitmire’s office.
“The neighbors said now that they heard the noise, the shots around 12:30 [a.m.],” Whitmire says. The senator was at home at the time of the shooting. None of his staff was injured.
The bullets damaged the sheetrock in the office’s hallways and meeting rooms. One lodged in a framed picture.
Whitmire chairs the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice.
“I meet a lot of interesting people,” the senator says. “A lot of folks make requests that I can’t meet, like, you know, they’d like their son paroled, and I don’t get people paroled, because I’m not the parole board.”
To be clear, Whitmire says he hasn’t received any personal threats and there are no suspects at this point.
“So you’re always concerned that people may become frustrated and think that you’re not following their request,” he says. “You know, I’m always concerned about the safety of my staff. They didn’t sign on for this type [of] duty.”
Both the Houston Police Department and the Texas Rangers are investigating.