Shootings in Midtown may be connected

A man was found fatally shot outside of the F Bar in Midtown. A man was found fatally shot outside of the F Bar in Midtown. Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Shootings in Midtown may be connected 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

A shooting that left a man dead in the parking lot of a popular Midtown bar early Thursday brought back troubling memories for one local resident.

On Feb. 15, John Gaspari was shot in the back and in the stomach shortly after leaving a nightclub in the 2300 block of Genessee. The still-unsolved attack against him happened only a few blocks away from the scene of the fatal 1:30 a.m. Thursday shooting outside F Bar at 202 Tuam near Helena.

"It's very sad. It really has me debating whether I will go out to the bars again or walk around in the community or even stay where I'm living," Gaspari said.

In Thursday's incident, Houston police said two men walked up to a still unidentified man and a woman as they were about to get into their car in the club's back parking lot.

"We believe it's a robbery gone bad," said Michael Burrow with the Houston Police homicide division.

The assailants demanded the car and shot the man when he refused.

"The victim managed to make it back towards the club before he collapsed," Burrow said.

The gunman fled in the unidentified victim's black Ford Five Hundred sedan with Texas license plate CWR-1480.

Police said the only thing that was taken was the car.

Houston police believe another man was shot about 30 minutes earlier and was found slumped over the steering wheel of a car in the 2600 block of Milam near Dennis. He was wounded and taken to hospital where his condition was unknown.

"It's probably the same guys," Burrow said.

Houston City Councilmember Ellen Cohen called early Thursday's attack a "heinous crime."

"It's shocking. You really don't want to see these kind of things happen," she said.

Cohen said HPD officials told her it's an active investigation. Although F Bar is a popular gay bar, it has not been determined if the attack can be considered a hate crime.

"They are looking into all aspects of it. They don't have an answer yet," Cohen said.

Gaspari said he has no doubt the attack on him was a hate crime. He said the assailants hurled verbal abuse at him before they shot and robbed him.

On Feb. 15, Gaspari left Meteor, a gay bar at 2306 Genessee , and opted to walk home because it was only about eight blocks away.

"I never made it home," he said.

A white car drove past him then turned around and came back. He said three people got out of the vehicle and began hitting and kicking him while yelling epithets.

He said they took his wallet and phone then shot him twice.

"They left me there to die. I didn't wake up until Monday night" which was one night later, at Ben Taub General Hospital, Gaspari said.

Gaspari has had multiple surgeries and was forced to have family members come to Houston to care for him during his recovery, which could take an additional six to eight months.

He doesn't know what the future holds. He has had economic problems, including losing his job and filing a discrimination lawsuit against his former employer.

"I have nurses coming to my home three days a week. I have people with me around the clock. I can't be alone," Gaspari said.

Houston police described the suspects from Thursday's fatal shooting as two 20-25 year old black men. They are about 5-feet-6 and weigh 150-160 pounds. One was wearing a dark sweater and dark baggy pants with a red and black cap. The other was wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirts and baggy shorts.

Anyone with information about any of these crimes is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

St. John Barned-Smith and Dale Lezon contributed to this story