HOUSTON, TEXAS – A man was shot and killed by an armed security guard during a parking dispute in front of a Walgreens – while his 12-year-old daughter was inside the store shopping. The incident took place about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the 388 Uvalde Road location.
Sheriff’s deputies were met by the security guard upon arriving at the scene. According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the guard told them that he had shot someone in the parking lot.
Authorities say that a 41-year-old man, identified as Michael Luna, parked his truck at the curb near the store’s front entrance while waiting for his daughter, who was inside the store shopping. The guard approached Luna and told him he needed to move the vehicle to a parking space in the lot. At that point, an argument between the men escalated quickly and led to the shooting. According to investigators who have reviewed video surveillance footage of the incident, the entire encounter lasted about 10 seconds.
Sheriff Gonzalez said that Luna exited the truck and began hitting the guard several times in the head, knocking him to the ground. The guard then drew his pistol and fired several times. Luna was fatally wounded and died at the scene.
The 31-year-old guard is licensed as an armed security guard by the State of Texas and is employed by Integrity Global. Authorities say that he is fully cooperating with the investigation and has given a statement regarding the incident. His employer has declined comment on the incident.
After reviewing the findings of the preliminary investigation, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office has declined to press charges. However, the case will still be doing to a grand jury, so the guard’s name is not being made public.
Luna has pled guilty to assault in at least three previous cases dating back to 2001, including a conviction for assaulting a family member in 2018.
