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A lawyer-turned-gunman of Indian origin fired indiscriminately, injuring nine persons at a strip mall in southwest Houston before being shot dead by the police in the latest incident of mass shooting in the US. George Joseph/Rediff.com report from Houston.
Nathan DeSai, a lawyer of Indian origin, reportedly opened fire on a public street because he was having problems with his law fire. DeSai was shot by cops -- and was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital, police said.>
The Houston PD said at a press conference just after the attack that Nathan DeSai was a disgruntled lawyer who had “issues concerning firm.
Police added that a cache of weapons was found in his Porsche car.
According to Yelp, DeSai worked with the law firm Kenneth McDaniel at McDaniel & DeSai LLP and specialised in family law and criminal cases, felonies and misdemeanors.
An "active shooter at Weslayan & Bissonnet has been shot by our officers; no reports of other suspects at this time," Houston Police tweeted.
The police chief told reporters "he is a lawyer and there were issues concerning his law firm."
Nine people were injured in the shooting, police said.
Police said six people were taken to hospitals while three were treated at the scene for injuries from broken glass, and released.
One victim is in critical condition with a gunshot wound, according to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Two people were taken to Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute and another three were taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. A sixth patient was transported to Ben Taub Hospital, according to media reports
One witness, said he heard "over 100 shots" fired -- including AK-47 and AR-15 gunfire.
It was "steady shooting back and forth" between police and DeSai, the man said.
Police exchanged gunfire with the suspected shooter, who died at the scene. It appears that he was killed by a police weapon, said HPD Acting Police Chief Martha Montalvo.
At a 9.15 am (7.45 pm IST) press conference, Montalvo said the alleged shooter was a local lawyer and there were "questions" surrounding his law firm.
The incident was initially reported at about 6.30 am (5.00 pm) near the Randall's grocery store at Weslayan and Bissonnet. The shooter allegedly fired several times into the strip center at that location.
Assistant Houston Fire Department Chief Richard Mann said gunfire lasted about 20 minutes at Law Street near WeslayanPlaza.
The shootings took place within a mile or two of several schools.
Montalvo said that officers responded to the scene and were able to quickly locate the gunman in the 4400 block of Law Street. She said the shooter immediately began firing at the officers and those officers returned fire. The gunman was found dead shortly after.
The US has witnesses a number of shooting incidents in recent months.
Monday's shooting comes days after a shooting at a Washington state mall left five people dead. On September 17, a 20-year-old man stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota mall before being shot to death by an off-duty police officer.
The US suffered the worst mass shooting in its history in June when 50 people were killed and 53 injured in Orlando, Florida after a gunman stormed into a packed gay nightclub.
In December last year, 14 people were killed in a shooting incident in San Bernardino.