HOUSTON, TX (Headline News USA) (Copyright © 2025) – A deadly confrontation outside a Houston motel over the weekend ended with a man gunned down in the parking lot — and a 63-year-old suspect now facing a murder charge.

Police say the shooting unfolded around 1:30 a.m. Saturday at a motel in the 11900 block of East Freeway. When officers arrived, they found a 29-year-old man lying on the ground, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, according to a statement from the Houston Police Department.

The suspect, Douglas Tyrone Hicks, was still on scene when police arrived. In fact, according to HPD, Hicks walked up to officers and admitted he had pulled the trigger.

Witnesses told investigators that Hicks and the victim had gotten into a verbal argument earlier in the evening. The younger man left but returned later — at which point the dispute reignited. This time, according to police, Hicks pulled a gun and opened fire.

In an interview with detectives, Hicks reportedly claimed he acted in self-defense, stating the victim had made threats toward him and appeared to be reaching for something in his waistband — possibly a gun — before he was shot. That account has not been confirmed, and investigators did not say whether a weapon was found on or near the victim.

After reviewing the case, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office accepted a charge of murder against Hicks. He was booked into the Harris County Jail on Saturday (Click2Houston).

As of Monday morning, the identity of the victim had not been publicly released pending family notification.

The motel where the shooting took place sits just off the eastbound service road of I-10 and has been the site of repeated law enforcement responses in the past. Nearby residents told Click2Houston that violent crime in the area is nothing new — but this killing has still rattled nerves.

Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Image Credit: Houston Police Department