Two people were killed, six others were were injured and a helicopter was struck after at least one gunman armed with a high-powered rifle began "shooting randomly" in Houston on Sunday, police said. 
 
 One suspect and one bystander were among the dead. 
 
 Four people and two constables were also injured, interim Houston Police Chief Martha Montalvo said, adding that both officers were released from the hospital. One suffered a wounded hand; the other was shot in a bullet-proof vest. 
 
 A bullet fired during the shootout Sunday in Houston sparked a fire at a gas station. Katherine Fuller 
 
 Authorities described a chaotic scene: A gas pump was struck during the shooting erupted in flames, and a helicopter helping to secure the area was hit with five bullets, police said. 
 
 A bomb squad was called to the area to detonate a suspicious item, officials told NBC News, and cars in the area, including two police cruisers, were shot. Photos released by the police department showed one vehicle with at least a dozen bullet holes in the windshield and the hood. 
 
 Authorities initially said there were two suspects, neither of whom were identified. One was injured during the shooting and hospitalized. The second man was pronounced dead at the scene; Houston police spokesman John Cannon described him as "the main active shooter" and said he was armed with a pistol and an "AR-15-type weapon." 
 
 At a briefing Sunday afternoon, Cannon said it was unclear whether the two men knew each other — or whether it was accurate to describe the injured man as a suspect. 
 
 "We don't know what his role was yet," Cannon said, adding that the man was providing police with "his version of what was happening out here." 
 
 The gunfire began at an auto detail shop in West Houston just after 11 a.m. (noon ET), Cannon said, when a customer, a man in his 50s, had just arrived at the shop. 
 
 A Houston police cruiser was struck by gunfire Sunday. Houston Police Department 
 
 The man "parked his car to get it detailed, and in a minute or two, the suspect came out and shot him for no apparent reason," Cannon said. 
 
 The man was pronounced dead. 
 
 The three additional wounded victims were adults who did not appear to have life-threatening injuries, Cannon said. One of them, Byron Wilson, was shot in both legs and a shoulder, his mother told NBC News. Another, Denise Slaughter, was on her way to brunch when she heard shots. 
 
 "She was hit and didn't even feel it," Slaughter's daughter, Stefanie, told NBC News. "She looked down and there was blood everywhere." 
 
 The motive remained unclear. Earlier Sunday, Montalvo said that "everything is open at this time." ||||| (CNN) Two people died, including a suspect, after at least one gunman armed with a high-powered rifle opened fire Sunday in Houston, aiming at bystanders, police patrol vehicles and a helicopter. 
 
 The slain victim was a man shot in the head inside his vehicle, acting Houston Police Chief Martha Montalvo told reporters. A suspect also was killed, police said. 
 
 A second armed man suffered gunshot wounds and was taken into police custody. Police originally described him as a suspect, but later said they weren't sure. 
 
 "He's telling us a version as to what his involvement is," Houston Police spokesman John Cannon said. "We need to verify that before we say anything publicly." 
 
 A motive for the shooting wasn't immediately clear. 
 
 "We do not know what started this," Montalvo said, "but what we do know is they were shooting randomly, just at whoever." 
 
 A total of eight people were shot, including the suspect, police said. 
 
 Two deputies injured in the shooting were treated and released, police said . Three other victims were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. 
 
 Police: Gunman had two weapons 
 
 Cannon said the main suspect in the shooting wielded at least two weapons: a pistol and an AR-15 rifle. 
 
 According to police, the suspected gunman used the pistol to shoot dead a man in his 50s who was parked at an auto detail shop. 
 
 "(The victim) had simply driven there, parked his car to get detailed, and within a minute or two, that's when the suspect came out and shot him for no apparent reason," Cannon said. 
 
 Several people in the area said their vehicles were shot at, CNN affiliate KPRC reported. 
 
 Neighbor who lives in area of shooting showed me this photo, he believes this truck had windows shot out @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/bR9Y38LsUv — Sara Donchey (@KPRC2Sara) May 29, 2016 
 
 Police posted a photo on Facebook showing a patrol vehicle's windshield riddled with bullets, saying the officer inside was "lucky to be alive." 
 
 At least 21 bullets hit that vehicle, police said, and the gunman's high-powered weapon also struck four other law enforcement patrol vehicles. 
 
 Videos posted on social media showed police cars racing through the neighborhood as gunshots rang out and a plume of smoke rose overhead. 
 
 Suspect fired at police chopper 
 
 As a SWAT team and a police helicopter responded to the scene, at least one gunman opened fire at the chopper, police said. The aircraft was hit by at least five bullets, Montalvo said. 
 
 Authorities haven't released further details about the victims or the suspects. 
 
 A fire also broke out at a nearby gas station during the shooting. Investigators believe it may have been caused by gunfire hitting a gas pump, Montalvo said. 
 
 The shooting left people in west Houston rattled, CNN affiliates reported. 
 
 "You don't expect to hear gunfire on a Sunday morning in this neighborhood," resident Bill Robinson told CNN affiliate KTRK . "So, pretty quickly you put two and two together and say, 'it is gunfire,' and get your family safe and get locked down." 
 
 Ryan Harper told KTRK that he watched out a bedroom window while his wife and kids huddled in a closet. 
 
 "We saw the cops and the SWAT run down one of these driveways in the backyard," he said. 
 
 Montalvo, the acting police chief, said shootings can happen in any neighborhood. 
 
 "It doesn't really matter where you live," she said. "But the police were here. They responded very very quickly at their own peril." ||||| Two people died and six people were injured in a shooting Sunday in west Houston, according to the Houston Police Department. (Photo: KHOU) 
 
 HOUSTON - ​Two people are dead and six others were injured in a shooting in west Houston Sunday, according to the Houston Police Department. 
 
 The motive behind the shooting is unknown at this time. 
 
 One of the deceased is a suspect who was shot by a SWAT officer. The other is a citizen who was shot and killed inside a vehicle, police said. 
 
 According to authorities, the civilian was in his 50s and was a customer at an auto detail shop where the suspect shot him with a pistol. Police say the suspect was also armed with an AR-15 that was used to shoot at officers. 
 
 Photos: 2 dead after active shooting situation in west Houston 
 
 A second suspect was wounded in the shootout and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Authorities say he was armed with at least one weapon, but it is unclear what his role in the shooting may have been at this time. 
 
 Three civilians – two men and one woman -- were among the wounded and were taken to local hospitals. Police say their injuries are not life-threatening. 
 
 Watch: Two men, one woman recovering in hospital after west Houston shooting 
 
 Two officers were also wounded. One was shot in the hand and is expected to be OK. The other was shot in the chest, but officers say his bullet-proof vest saved his life. Officials say they are both out of the hospital as of Sunday evening. 
 
 Watch: HPD PIO John Cannon provides update on west Houston shooting 
 
 Police say the first officer who pulled up to the scene was immediately shot at, leaving 21 bullet holes in his windshield. 
 
 Amazing no officer was seriously hurt or killed. Just look at this HPD vehicle. Thankful 4 our officers #khou11 pic.twitter.com/x9izldUAt1 — Marcelino Benito (@MarcelinoKHOU) May 29, 2016 
 
 An HPD helicopter also had five bullet strikes. Police believe the deceased suspect shot at HPD’s helicopter and that officer. 
 
 Police said reports of a third suspect were false. 
 
 SWAT teams doing door to door searches through neighborhood #khou11 pic.twitter.com/0XpgoB3vWO — Marcelino Benito (@MarcelinoKHOU) May 29, 2016 
 
 Officials say the neighborhood is now secure and the shelter-in-place has been lifted. 
 
 Watch: Witnesses describe active shooting scene Sunday in west Houston 
 
 The active shooter situation was initially reported at Memorial and Wilcrest drives Sunday morning. Officials, however, are urging residents to avoid the area on Memorial Drive near Wilcrest where the active shooter situation was initially reported, as the investigation is ongoing. 
 
 Watch: HPD Chief Montalvo gives update on active shooter situation in west Houston 
 
 SWAT, Houston Police, Houston Fire Department and Precinct 5 deputies rushed to the scene just after 10 a.m. Sunday. Houston Fire Department officials say a fire that broke out at a nearby gas station may have resulted from the suspect shooting and striking several gas pumps. 
 
 KHOU 11 reporter Marcelino Benito was on the scene and spoke with witnesses who said they were shot at by one of the shooters. 
 
 This guy is super lucky. Was shot at at by shooter while he was driving. He's okay! #khou11 pic.twitter.com/Aou97HnfGw — Marcelino Benito (@MarcelinoKHOU) May 29, 2016 
 
 Just talked to witness. This man says he was shot at. Very scary stay inside folks. #khou11 pic.twitter.com/ahfhFyXZPC — Marcelino Benito (@MarcelinoKHOU) May 29, 2016 
 
 Check back here for more updates on this developing story as they become available. ||||| A police officer investigates a car reportedly belonging to a man who shot and injured multiple people before he was killed by police in Houston on Monday. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP) 
 
 A man who injured nine people in a shooting rampage in Houston on Monday was wearing military clothes and Nazi emblems during the attack, and was carrying nearly 2,600 rounds of ammunition inside a Porsche convertible parked at the scene, authorities said. 
 
 The gunman, identified by local media as Nathan DeSai, 46, was shot and killed by police after he opened fire on morning commuters near a strip mall in a mostly residential neighborhood west of downtown. Police did not publicly name DeSai as the shooter, but the Houston Chronicle and KTRK reported that they had confirmed his identity with officials. 
 
 The shooter was carrying a .45-caliber handgun and wearing “military-style apparel” during the shooting, with vintage Nazi emblems on his clothes and “on his personal effects,” police said in a news briefing Monday afternoon. A search of his apartment, which is several blocks from the scene, turned up similar military memorabilia going back to the Civil War, police said. 
 
 A bomb squad that searched his black Porsche convertible uncovered a Thompson submachine gun — commonly known as a Tommy gun — and nearly 2,600 rounds of live ammunition, according to police, who said he purchased both of his firearms legally. Police also found a sheathed knife, a notebook with a Nazi symbol and 75 spent shell casings on the scene. 
 
 Nazi materials found inside a car investigated at scene of SW Houston shooting rampage: https://t.co/MRozy6CcNEpic.twitter.com/9ikaoT3YwP — Rick Bagley (@ABC13Bagley) September 26, 2016 
 
 Authorities said they did not know what motivated the attack and would not speculate about what role, if any, his military items played. 
 
 “A this point, we’re very open-minded in terms of the motive,” Acting Houston Police Chief Martha Montalvo said. Police added that the shooting did not appear to be an act of terrorism. 
 
 Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who was on a trade mission to Cuba when the shooting occurred, said DeSai may have carried out the attack because he was upset about troubles at his law practice. 
 
 “The motivation appears to be a lawyer whose relationship with his law firm just went bad,” Sylvester told reporters. In a separate interview with KTRK, he said DeSai was “either fired or had a bad relationship with this law firm.” 
 
 Multiple sources confirm the active shooter was Nathan DeSai, a lawyer who had issues with his law firm. Photo Courtesy: @Fox26Houston pic.twitter.com/Rv1bXRSSym — Rita Garcia (@TheRitaGarcia) September 26, 2016 
 
 DeSai graduated from the University of Tulsa law school in 1998 and ran a small firm where he practiced business, criminal and family law, according to his state bar association page. 
 
 His law partner, Kenneth McDaniel, said the two of them worked together for 12 years before parting ways in February. He disputed claims that DeSai was “disgruntled” with the firm or that he was fired from his job. 
 
 “That’s the farthest thing from the truth,” McDaniel told the Chronicle. “It was simply a matter of economics. We couldn’t afford to operate as a partnership anymore.” 
 
 DeSai’s father, Prakash DeSai, told KTRK that the disbanding of the law firm weighed heavily on his son, who he last saw the night before the shooting. 
 
 “He’s upset about the law practice not going well — financial reasons,” Prakash DeSai told the station. 
 
 John Elmore, the property manager for The Oaks at West University, where DeSai lived, told KTRK that he had been behaving erratically in the months leading up to the shooting. He said he believed DeSai was doing law work out of his apartment and said he had been acting as if someone was “out to get him.” 
 
 In August, Elmore said, DeSai pulled a gun on a construction crew working on the complex’s roof, apparently mistaking them for burglars. 
 
 “They were scared for their life,” Elmore said. “They felt like they were going to get shot.” 
 
 DeSai began his rampage around 6:30 a.m. on Monday, unloading his semiautomatic handgun at morning commuters on the four-lane road outside the strip mall. 
 
 EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Shots fired as Houston Police confront suspect firing randomly near Weslayan, injuring nine. https://t.co/f9Vl1ZIgE6 pic.twitter.com/Y0xYj4esIt — abc13 Houston (@abc13houston) September 26, 2016 
 
 More than a dozen officers from three agencies responded to calls for an active shooter and found the man “shooting randomly at passersby, as well as anybody he could put his sights on,” Houston Police Capt. Dwayne Ready said. Officers engaged in a standoff, as the shooter took cover behind his car and a tree while he exchanged fire with police. After about 20 minutes, officers shot and killed him. Police did not say how many times he was struck. 
 
 Nine people were injured during the shooting, some by shattered glass, and the gunman’s bullets hit numerous vehicles, according to police. Six people were transported to the hospital, police said, with one in critical, one in serious and one in good condition as of Monday afternoon. Three others were discharged Monday, and another three were treated on the scene. 
 
 Eduardo Andrade said he was on his way to the gym Monday morning when two of the shooter’s bullets struck his Audi A3, one of them lodging in between his dashboard and windshield. 
 
 “It is so random,” he told the Chronicle. “If I were going a little faster or a little slower, the bullet would have had a different trajectory.” 
 
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– A man came into a Houston auto detail shop and began shooting, killing a man known to be a customer and putting a neighborhood on lockdown Sunday before being killed by a SWAT officer, police say. A total of eight people were shot, with the aforementioned two being the only fatalities. Among the injured: a man authorities initially described as another suspect because he was present and armed, the AP reports. Police said later Sunday they are investigating further whether he played any role. "He's telling us a version as to what his involvement is," Houston Police spokesman John Cannon said, per CNN. "We need to verify that before we say anything publicly." Police say the main suspect, armed with a pistol and an "AR-15 type" rifle, opened fire at the first police car to arrive on the scene, riddling it with 21 bullets. At least two other police vehicles were damaged and a police helicopter was hit five times after being shot at with a "high-powered" weapon, authorities say. A gas pump that may have been hit by a bullet erupted in flames at an adjacent station. KHOU reports that two wounded police officers, one shot in the hand and the other shot in the chest while wearing a bulletproof vest, were released from the hospital Sunday evening. There has been no word yet on a motive. Cannon say that the man killed in the auto shop "parked his car to get detailed, and within a minute or two, that's when the suspect came out and shot him for no apparent reason," NBC reports.