Two shot at Workforce Solutions in Humble

Witnesses rescue shooting victim

08:29 PM CDT on Tuesday, May 26, 2009

By Ron Trevino & Michelle Homer / 11 News

HUMBLE, Texas -- Shell casings and broken glass littered the parking lot of a strip center near Deerbrook Mall after a double shooting Tuesday.

It happened around 11:15 a.m. outside the Workforce Solutions on FM 1960 East.

A woman who had apparently gone there for help finding a job was ambushed by a gunman before she got out of her car.

When Humble police arrived at the scene, they said a man with a gun was standing beside the woman's car. Investigators said he tried to shoot inside the car but his handgun misfired. The woman bailed out of the passenger side door.

"She got out of the vehicle, ran around the vehicle," said Jay Wrobliske with the Humble Police Department. "At that time, he fired several rounds at her, striking her in the shoulder."

There were about 100 people inside Workforce Solutions when the shooting happened.

"We started hearing some of the Worksource staff tell us to take cover, to hit the floor, get on the ground," said Sylvester Jones.

They could see the bloody victim lying on the sidewalk outside so someone crawled to the door and pulled her inside the office.

They performed first aid until an ambulance arrived.

"So I went to the bathroom and got a bunch of tissue to form like a gauze to try to stop the bleeding," said Gregory Graham, a witness.

Others in the parking lot also dove for cover.

"I'm still in shock. I still know that that bullet could have come right to my car," said Jo Barrera, a witness. "Any given second, I could have been caught in the crossfire.

One female police officer fired a shot at the suspect. Police believe he may have also shot himself. The unidentified suspect later died at Ben Taub Hospital.

The victim was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital where she's expected to be OK.

The suspect and victim knew each other, according to Humble police.

Workforce Solutions operates career offices in 13 Gulf Coast counties to help residents get a job, keep a job or do a better job. They also offer placement, career counseling and financial aid services.

Gregory Graham has been without work for two years. He didn't land a job Tuesday, but he did help save a woman's life.