Houston, Texas: Man in Halloween Costume Shot After Trying to Force His Way Into Wrong Apartment on Bering Drive

A man wearing a Halloween costume is in critical condition after a Houston resident shot him early Thursday when he tried to force his way into an apartment on Bering Drive, police said. Investigators believe the wounded man lives in the same apartment complex and had come to the wrong door.

FOX 26 Houston reported that Houston police and the Houston Fire Department responded around 2:20 a.m. to the complex in the 2300 block of Bering Drive, in the Greater Uptown area near Westheimer Road. KPRC 2 reported the shooting at 2:26 a.m. and said the man was dressed as a character from the film "Dumb and Dumber," in an orange suit and a top hat.

A knock that turned into a struggle

Lieutenant R. Willkens of the Houston Police Department told reporters that a resident was asleep on his couch while his girlfriend and their 1-year-old child slept in the bedroom. The resident woke to the sound of someone shaking the door handle, and at one point kicking the door.

The resident picked up an AR-15 rifle and looked through the peephole. He did not recognize the man outside, and his girlfriend came out of the bedroom and said she did not recognize him either. Willkens said the resident checked whether the man appeared to be carrying a weapon before he opened the door.

Police said the man outside kept repeating, "This is my apartment," and tried to force his way through the doorway. The resident pushed back to keep him out, and the two men struggled at the door. The resident then fired one shot, which hit the man in the upper body.

Police believe it was the wrong door

Houston Fire Department paramedics took the wounded man to a Houston area hospital, where he was last reported in critical condition. No one inside the apartment was hurt, and police said the resident and his girlfriend are cooperating with investigators.

Investigators confirmed that the wounded man also lives in the apartment complex. Police believe he was likely intoxicated after returning from a party and, by mistake, tried to enter the wrong second-floor unit. Both men are believed to be in their 30s.

Police have not released the name of the resident or of the man who was shot. Officers said it is not yet clear whether any charges will be filed, and the investigation is continuing.