Shooter with Nazi emblems once belonged to fraternity started as Jewish group Gunman in Nazigear once joined fraternity at UHstarted by Jews

A lawyer who wore a German World War II uniform complete with Nazi emblems earlier this week when he went on a shooting rampage outside his southwest Houston condominium was once in a college fraternity founded by Jews.

Nathan DeSai was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu chapter at the University of Houston from 1990 to 1993, the fraternity's national office confirmed Wednesday.

"Since his graduation more than 23 years ago, we have no record of (DeSai) having any involvement with our organization," Andy Huston, the fraternity's executive director, said in a statement.

Police still have not identified a motive for DeSai's actions, Houston Police Capt. Dwayne Ready said. Preliminary autopsy reports show DeSai was struck by six bullets, he said.

RELATED: Several questions remain after mass shooting in SW Houston

Five guns in total were recovered, two from the scene - along with 2,600 rounds of ammunition - and three at DeSai's home, including two handguns and a rifle and an unknown number of rounds. Also recovered at his home were body armor, a gas mask and other items, Ready said.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city and its nine citizens who were wounded in Monday's shooting were "very, very fortunate" to avoid any loss of life.

According to their website, Sigma Alpha Mu was established in 1909 at the City College of New York as a fraternity of Jewish men. But, it is now open to non-Jewish men as well.

"Some of us were Jewish and some of us weren't. It was a very diverse group of people," said Houston restaurateur Ian Rosenberg, a fraternity member with DeSai.

DeSai helped restart the Sigma Alpha Mu chapter at UH that had been closed since World War II sent so many college-age men into the military.

"Our group was able to convince the national chapter and remaining alumni to give us the money that was left in the fraternity's account," Rosenberg said.

Police investigate the suspect's car in Monday morning's shooting along Law Street at Weslayan, Sept. 26, 2016. Police investigate the suspect's car in Monday morning's shooting along Law Street at Weslayan, Sept. 26, 2016. Photo: Mark Mulligan, Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle Photo: Mark Mulligan, Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 58 Caption Close Shooter with Nazi emblems once belonged to fraternity started as Jewish group 1 / 58 Back to Gallery

Although it has been decades since their college years together, Rosenberg said he remembered DeSai - whom he knew as Niren - as being "incredibly outgoing."

"Our little group of misfits," Rosenberg recalled. "We got involved in the university and achieved success in fraternity competitions."

Collected memorabilia

Rosenberg did not know anything about the Nazi items DeSai allegedly had at the time of the shooting that injured nine people. He heard DeSai had been collecting military memorabilia, including that of the World War II era, for several years. He said the focus shouldn't be on whether DeSai was a Nazi sympathizer but on his shooting victims.

"Those peoples' lives have been impacted. It's a terrible thing that happened," Rosenberg said.

Huston said Sigma Alpha Mu no longer has a chapter at the University of Houston.

"First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Monday's tragic events in Houston and their families. We condemn this senseless act of violence," he said.

Turner said he had been assured by family members of the two most severely wounded victims that they were expected to recover. "Nine people were injured, but no one has lost their lives."

In discussing the shooting, the mayor pivoted to the same topic he discussed at length a week ago: The need for sufficient resources for public safety. He had discussed the issue when City Council cut its tax rate for the third year in a row to comply with the voter-approved revenue cap, which limits the annual growth of Houston's property tax collections.

"No city is immune and we are not immune from things that may happen in New York or Baltimore or anyplace else," Turner said. "We were fortunate here, but I'm going to say the same thing again: That we still need to make sure that we have the assets we need in order to confront any sort of incident of any kind."

The mayor has said he plans to ask voters to lift the revenue cap in November 2017. The cap, over the last three years, has saved the owner of a $200,000 home about $34 a year, and has prevented the city from collecting $220 million.

Police review actions

Interim police chief Martha Montalvo said she is preparing a detailed report showing what the department could have done better in responding to Monday's incident, but on Wednesday she did not identify anything her department would have done differently if it had more resources.

"I think the officers responded quickly, they responded efficiently and they contained it," she said.

Still, the mayor said Monday proved Houston is not immune to such active-shooter incidents, calling DeSai's fatigues and arsenal of weaponry and ammunition "disturbing."

"We shouldn't have to wait until, for example, some incident occurs and police officers lose their lives or other individuals lose their lives and then we are saying, 'But if we had had more,' " Turner said. "I am saying we need it now.

"You can't keep lowering the property tax rate because of this revenue cap and expect the city to be fully equipped with all the assets that are needed. Let's use this as a warning call to get better prepared. We've been fortunate, but let's not be naive."