Legends Poker Room Shooting: Houston Killer Claims Self-Defense

Posted on: May 18, 2022, 06:51h. 

Last updated on: May 19, 2022, 11:21h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

A man fatally shot outside a poker room in Houston, Texas, Wednesday morning had tried to steal his killer’s car, according to police.

Legends poker room
Legends poker room in East Houston, pictured, has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late. (Image: PokerNews)

This is the latest in a spate of violent incidents in and around the Legends Poker Room in East Houston.

Early reports from ABC13 Eyewitness News that the body of a woman had been found outside Legends proved to be inaccurate.

The Houston Police Department later told the area news channel that they had responded to a call about a shooting at 3:56 a.m. in the parking lot.

But the victim was a male who had earlier tried to rob a man outside the nearby late-night Mediterranean restaurant Cafe Awtar, police said Wednesday.

Failed Car-Jack

Witnesses saw the deceased demand the shooter hand over the keys to his new Chevy Corvette. The owner of the vehicle shot the man “in self-defense” and was “returning fire,” according to Houston cops.

HPD Detective Jason Campbell told ABC13 the shooter believed his “life was in danger.”

The injured car thief then jumped on top of a moving vehicle, which came to a halt outside Legends.

That shooter is cooperating with our investigation, and he has since been transported down to (HPD headquarters) where he is being interviewed by detectives. That suspect is dead on scene via gunshot wounds,” Campbell told ABC13.

Shooter Opens Fire

Last month, PokerNews reported that players at Legends were forced to duck for cover under tables when an unidentified gunman began open-firing into the poker room. No one was hurt in the incident. But responding police officers found over 40 shell casings at the scene.

There has been no announcement of an arrest by Houston police in that incident.

This was just a week after a non-fatal shooting at a barber shop in the same strip of businesses.

In January, a man armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle attempted to rob the poker room, but was wrestled to the ground by security staff. One member of staff suffered a dislocated shoulder in the incident.

A month earlier, a fight broke out between a dealer and the well-known poker pro Sammy Farha, who was punched in the face.

This kind of publicity Legends can well do without, especially because Texas poker rooms exist in a legally gray area and are currently being challenged.

Casino.org has reached out to Legends for comment.