Houston police opened a homicide investigation after a co-owner of a north Houston smoke shop was found shot to death inside the business Saturday, according to investigators at the scene. Officers responded to the Daze Elevated smoke shop on North Houston Rosslyn Road after an employee found the owner’s body in the back of the store.
The case drew immediate attention because detectives said the shooting may have happened hours before the body was discovered, leaving a long stretch of time for the suspect to flee and for evidence to be moved or lost. Police said they were working from surveillance footage and early witness accounts while the Harris County medical examiner reviewed the death. Investigators also said a person of interest was in custody after being arrested in a vehicle that police believe is connected to the killing, though the person had not been questioned by homicide detectives and had not been charged in the death.
Officers were called to the shop in the 8600 block of North Houston Rosslyn Road on Saturday afternoon after an employee became concerned by what looked like an unusual scene. Investigators said the employee drove past the store around noon and noticed the “open” sign was illuminated, but the owner’s vehicle was not parked outside as it usually was. Police said the employee went inside to check on the owner and found him lying on the ground, dead, in the back area of the business. Patrol officers secured the location and notified homicide detectives, who began processing the scene.
Detectives said they were still piecing together what happened overnight, but surveillance video collected from the business pointed them to a possible time frame. Based on the footage, investigators believe the shooting may have occurred around midnight, hours before the discovery. Police did not publicly identify the victim on Saturday and did not immediately describe how many times he was shot. They also did not say whether any money or merchandise had been taken or whether the store showed signs of forced entry. A homicide detective at the scene described the investigation as being in a very early stage, with key questions still unanswered about who was inside the store and why.
The gap between the suspected shooting time and the noon discovery quickly became a central issue for investigators. Detectives said they were trying to identify anyone who was near the smoke shop late Friday night into early Saturday, including possible customers, neighboring businesses, or drivers who may have passed through the area. Police did not release a description of any suspect or vehicle connected to the shooting, but they said the owner’s vehicle was not where it was expected to be when the employee arrived. Investigators have not said whether the missing vehicle was taken during the crime or moved afterward, and they have not said whether the store’s surveillance captured images clear enough to identify a suspect.
Police said one person of interest was in custody after being arrested earlier Saturday by a separate unit for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle. Authorities said the vehicle is believed to be connected to the smoke shop case, but they did not explain the specific link or what evidence tied the car to the death. They also said the person of interest had not yet been questioned by homicide detectives and had not been formally charged in connection with the killing. The status left the case in a careful posture: investigators suggested progress in locating a possible lead while stopping short of saying they had identified a suspect in the homicide.
As detectives worked through the first day of the investigation, the medical examiner’s office began its own review. Police said the Harris County medical examiner had not completed an examination to determine the official cause and manner of death, a step that typically documents the injury pattern, confirms the cause of death, and helps investigators understand the timing and circumstances. While police described the case as a suspected homicide based on the scene, officials said formal determinations would follow the medical examiner’s findings. Police did not say whether an autopsy had been completed or whether toxicology testing was expected.
The smoke shop sits along a north Houston corridor where small retail businesses, gas stations, and warehouses can share the same stretch of roadway, with traffic patterns that change sharply between daylight and late-night hours. Investigators said they were interested in the time around midnight because it can be a period when fewer witnesses are outside, but vehicle traffic still moves through main routes and side streets. That mix can make it harder to find direct eyewitnesses while offering potential camera coverage from nearby businesses. Police did not say whether they were collecting video from neighboring properties, but investigators commonly seek footage from adjacent storefronts, street-facing cameras, and private security systems when the initial video does not capture key angles.
Officials did not immediately disclose the victim’s age, how long he had co-owned the business, or whether he had been working alone. They also did not say whether the store had a history of robberies or disturbances. Smoke shops, like convenience stores, often keep extended hours and carry high-demand items that can make them targets for theft, but police have not said what they believe the motive was in this case. Detectives also have not said whether the victim knew the shooter or whether the killing appeared to be targeted rather than random. Those details can depend on evidence still being collected, including video, fingerprints, phone data, and any witness statements that emerge after news of the death spreads.
Police said the discovery was made by an employee rather than a customer, and investigators suggested the employee recognized that the owner’s vehicle being absent was unusual. That observation, police said, was part of what prompted the employee to enter the business and check on the owner. Officers who arrived then faced the challenge of preserving a scene inside a small retail shop, where customers, staff members, and first responders can quickly introduce new footprints and touchpoints. Detectives typically document the scene with photos and measurements, mark evidence locations, and search for shell casings, blood patterns, and any signs of a struggle. Police did not publicly discuss what evidence they recovered.
As the investigation progressed into Sunday, police signaled that the detained person of interest was an important thread but not yet the end of the story. Investigators said the person was arrested by another unit for the suspected stolen vehicle offense, suggesting the initial contact was not made by homicide detectives. That can happen when patrol officers or specialized units encounter a vehicle during routine enforcement, a traffic stop, or a call for service, then discover a connection to a separate investigation. Police did not say where the arrest occurred or whether the person of interest was found in possession of any property belonging to the victim or the store.
For families and co-workers, the death at the shop created a sudden rupture in what would have been a routine weekend shift. Police did not release details about the employee who made the discovery, but that kind of finding can be traumatic, particularly when the victim is an owner or close colleague. Investigators often work with victim services staff to provide support and to help stabilize communication with families while detectives focus on interviews and evidence. Police did not indicate whether a formal public vigil had been organized, but such deaths can draw memorials of flowers or candles near the storefront as community members learn what happened.
The next steps in the case depend on what detectives can confirm from the video and physical evidence, along with what they learn from the person of interest in custody. Police said the person had not yet been questioned by homicide detectives, a step that often includes confirming identity, reviewing movements, and checking whether the person has an explanation for being in the vehicle investigators believe is tied to the case. Investigators also may seek warrants for phone records, location data, and any relevant social media or messaging accounts, though police did not discuss warrants publicly. If detectives develop probable cause, they can present a case to prosecutors to seek charges, but officials said no homicide charges had been filed as of Sunday morning.
In the meantime, the store remained a sealed crime scene as detectives worked inside and outside the building. Police said additional details would be released as they are confirmed, signaling that early information could change as investigators verify times, identify people seen on video, and match evidence from the scene to any suspects. For now, the public facts remain limited: a co-owner was found dead in the back of a north Houston smoke shop around noon Saturday, investigators believe the shooting happened around midnight, and a person of interest was detained in a vehicle police believe is connected to the killing.
Author note: Last updated February 15, 2026.