MISSOURI CITY, Texas – Investigators are piecing together what led up to a deadly shooting Monday night at a United States Postal Service (USPS) facility in Missouri City, where an employee was killed and another was arrested.
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It happened a little after 10 p.m. when officials got word of an active shooter at the regional processing facility on US 90 East. Employees were evacuated and dozens of law enforcement officials rushed to help respond to the incident.
It’s unclear how everything unfolded, as officers are still in the preliminary stages of investigating. Monday afternoon, the USPS public information officer identified the employee who was killed as USPS contractor Kevin Hines. The employee who was arrested and accused of shooting Hines, was also identified as USPS employee Derrick Lott. Lott has since been charged with murder.
Officials said employees were told to run after an active shooter was inside the building firing shots.
When KPRC 2 arrived at the facility, our reporters noticed a sign that read, “U.S. property, no trespassing, no firearms or weapons allowed on this property.”
So, the big question that we have been receiving is how will this shooting impact operations.
During a press conference Monday, officials spoke about it.
“This processing facility. Right now, I don’t have a lot of specific information on impacts to the facility. What I can tell you right now is that law enforcement is in control of the facility. We are working thoroughly through our investigation. And as soon as we can turn the facility back over to operations, we’ll do so as quickly as possible,” USPS assistant postal inspector Dana Carter said.
The facility resumed operations Monday afternoon.
KPRC2 reached out to USPS about the shooting. A spokesperson said,
“The U.S. Postal Service is deeply shocked and saddened by the incident on Dec. 9 at the South Houston Local Processing Center (LPC) in Missouri City, TX. The Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, is actively investigating in partnership with local law enforcement. The Postal Service does not comment on active investigations. We are currently focused on providing needed resources and support for all employees at this facility. Because the location remains an active crime scene, some temporary operational disruptions occurred; however, the Postal Service is deploying contingency plans designed to work around such situations. We will continue to monitor conditions and make the necessary adjustments to ensure the timely and efficient processing of all mail and packages. We appreciate our employees’ dedication and our customers’ patience at this time.”