Police followed a trail of blood to a nearby Third Ward apartment and detained two people for questioning early Sunday.
HOUSTON — Houston police are investigating after officers responding to a report of gunfire found a person dead inside an overturned trash can early Sunday at an apartment complex in the city’s Third Ward.
Officers were sent to the 3100 block of Anita Street at about 12:13 a.m. Sept. 6 after a 911 caller reported hearing gunshots and seeing someone apparently trying to put a body into a trash can, according to police. Investigators said the caller had blocked the phone number, preventing officers from calling back for more information before they reached the scene.
No witnesses were waiting for police when officers arrived at the small apartment complex. Officers searched the parking lot and found an overturned trash can with a body inside, authorities said. Investigators could not immediately determine how the person died or what injuries the person had suffered.
Police said the initial report of gunfire had not been confirmed as the cause of the person’s death. An officer speaking during a briefing said investigators could not immediately tell whether the victim had suffered a gunshot wound, blunt-force injuries or some other form of trauma. The cause and manner of death remained undetermined as homicide detectives began processing the scene.
During a search of the property, officers found blood leading from the parking area toward a nearby apartment, police said. Investigators approached the unit and ordered a man inside to come out. When he did not comply, officers with the Houston Police Department’s Patrol Support Team used breaching equipment to enter the apartment.
The man was taken into custody for questioning. Police also questioned a second person in connection with the investigation. Authorities described both people as persons of interest in initial reports, but neither had been publicly identified as a suspect. Police had not announced an arrest or filed criminal charges in connection with the death.
Investigators had also not publicly identified the person whose body was found. Authorities had not released the victim’s age or gender or explained what relationship, if any, existed between the victim and the two people being questioned. No motive had been announced.
The circumstances reported in the original 911 call remained a central part of the investigation. According to police accounts, the caller reported both hearing gunfire and seeing what appeared to be a person trying to dispose of a body. Because the number was blocked and no witness was waiting when officers arrived, investigators initially had limited information beyond what had been reported during the emergency call.
The discovery of the blood trail gave investigators another area to examine. Detectives were processing evidence from the parking lot, the trash can and the nearby apartment as they worked to determine what happened before officers arrived. Police had not publicly said whether evidence recovered from the apartment directly connected either person being questioned to the death.
Homicide investigators continued working at the Third Ward complex Sunday as authorities sought to determine the victim’s identity and cause of death. No charges had been announced, and police had not identified an official suspect as of the latest reports.
Author note: Last updated September 6, 2026.