According to police, at least three gunmen barged into the Denny's along I-10 and Washington around 10:40pm and ordered everyone to get on the ground.
Authorities say there were at least 15 people in the restaurant at the time of the robbery, including men, women and children. That is when police say the suspects fired multiple rounds as they continued robbing the restaurant and customers.
"They entered forced everybody to the ground and immediately started taking money from customers as well as from the registers," said Sr. Officer Ken Nealy with the Houston Police Department robbery division.
"From what they tell me that three to five suspects walked in with mask on and started shooting and robbing people," said restaurant customer Luigi Major.
Police say an employee and a customer were both shot. Both victims were taken to the hospital. That's where police say the customer was pronounced dead.
The employee was shot multiples times in the lower body as he ran out trying to escape the restaurant. He managed to run to an IHOP across the highway for help. He is expected to survive.
Police are looking at the restaurant's surveillance video to see if they can identify the gunmen. The suspects were last seen taking off in a minivan. Police are looking for three suspects including a get-a-way driver.
An investigation is under way.
