Owner shoots man who fell asleep at Houston-area wedding venue after hours

Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies investigate a shooting at a wedding venue in the 21100 block of FM 2100 on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019. Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies investigate a shooting at a wedding venue in the 21100 block of FM 2100 on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019. Photo: OnScene.TV Photo: OnScene.TV Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Owner shoots man who fell asleep at Houston-area wedding venue after hours 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

A young man who fell asleep in an outdoor bathroom after an event at a Huffman wedding venue was greeted with gunfire after waking up and attempting to break back into the venue, police said.

The man, in his 20s, attended some kind of event Sunday at The Barn at Four Pines Ranch in the 21100 block of FM 2100, according to Harris County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. T. Windsor. He eventually made his way to an outdoor restroom after the event and dozed off, Windsor said.

He didn’t wake up until around 1 a.m. Monday, long after guests had cleared out and the owner had locked up, Windsor said. The man, who deputies believe might have been intoxicated, broke into the venue, forcing his way through a locked door, police said.

The owner, whose identity was not immediately released, confronted the man along with an on-site property manager. At some point, the three began to physically struggle, which is when the venue owner pulled a gun and shot the man.

He was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he is expected to be OK, Windsor said.

It is unclear whether the owner will face any charges, but Windsor said he is cooperating and being questioned by detectives. While the venue hosts weddings, it also hosts other kinds of events, such as quinceañeras, family reunions and others.

Windsor was unsure what event was happening Sunday but said it is part of the investigation.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com

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