Man fatally shot near Midtown homeless camp

Individuals walked around at a homeless encampmentThursday Nov. 9, 2017 near downtown Houston, Texas. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Thursday such homeless encampments in the city are becoming public safety and health hazards. Turner said the city can't get rid of the encampment because of an ongoing court order that is blocking a city ordinance which bans such sites. The American Civil Liberties Union, which is suing to block the ordinance, says the ordinance is criminalizing homelessness. (AP Photo/Juan A. Lozano) less Individuals walked around at a homeless encampmentThursday Nov. 9, 2017 near downtown Houston, Texas. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Thursday such homeless encampments in the city are becoming public ... more Photo: Juan A. Lozano, STF / Associated Press Photo: Juan A. Lozano, STF / Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Man fatally shot near Midtown homeless camp 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A man was fatally shot in a homeless encampment under the Southwest Freeway overpass in Midtown Saturday, the fourth homicide there since mid-2017.

The shooting occurred at 4:07 p.m. near the intersection of Wheeler and San Jacinto streets. The Houston Police Department's homicide division responded to the scene.

Homeless residents began turning the area into a village of sorts in mid-2016, sparking tension with local residents, who have complained to police and to city officials for months. In one August 2017 incident, a local resident shot a homeless man in the leg from his townhome balcony.

Mayor Sylvester Turner and the city council approved an ordinance in April 2017 aimed at controlling these encampments -- the measure bars the unauthorized use of temporary structures for "human habitation" and empowers police officers to arrest violators if they refuse medical treatment or social services. -- and carried out two "deep cleanings" of the Midtown site last year.

The ACLU of Texas sued the city to block the ordinance, and a federal judge blocked Houston from enforcing its new rules in August 2017. That injunction was lifted last December, and city officials said they would seek to balance civil liberties with public health in enforcing the measure.