Separate deadly shootings on I-45 where 3 Bandidos were murdered/shot on their bikes

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (KTRK) — Law enforcement officers across two counties are trying to figure out whether shooting incidents that apparently targeted motorcyclists on I-45 North are not only linked but also have outlaw biker gang ties.

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About 40 miles separate one shooting from the other, resulting in three people dead and two others injured between the two scenes that unfolded Friday.

In the hours since the violent acts, both shootings are believed to be gang-related and connected to each other, authorities said.

First motorcyclists hit

Eyewitness News learned information about the first shooting at about 11:36 a.m. when the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office posted information on Facebook about a heavy police presence on I-45 northbound at Oakwood Drive in the Spring area, where at least one motorcyclist was shot.

The sheriff’s office said it wasn’t immediately clear where exactly the shooting happened but shared that the victim, a 32-year-old man, called 911 at 11:08 a.m.

The victim was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent “extensive medical efforts” but later died at 3:30 p.m., deputies said.

Deputies later clarified that a second motorcyclist was injured in the same incident from an apparent ricochet. That person’s injuries were considered minor when he was brought to the hospital, where he left before officials could identify him.

Homicide, violent crimes, and gang task force detectives were assigned to investigate. Deputies didn’t believe there was a danger to the public.

The sheriff’s office also acknowledged a similar shooting just up the interstate in Walker County that ended up becoming deadly.

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Shooting near Sam Houston statue

Word of more bloodshed on the interstate came into the ABC13 newsroom at about 1:15 p.m. when Huntsville police also posted on Facebook about a scene unfolding on northbound I-45 around Clayton Homes.

Police said a call about the shooting came in at 12:18 p.m.

First responders, who included Texas DPS, Walker County sheriff’s deputies, and Walker County EMS, tried to save two of the victims – 43- and 69-year-old men – who died at the scene. A 61-year-old man was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical District, police said.

Police added that the victims were all riding motorcycles and wearing clothing and insignia that indicated they were part of an outlaw motorcycle gang.

Investigators in this case believe it’s related to the Montgomery County killing.

Traffic impacts

Both scenes held up traffic for the better part of the afternoon. In Montgomery County, authorities closed all but one lane on I-45 northbound at Oakwood, urging drivers to avoid the area.

The closure was about the same for folks in Huntsville, where the northbound lanes of I-45 were shut down. Traffic was diverted to Highway 75.

Drivers were urged to take the exit at the Sam Houston statue and stay off I-45 northbound until Clayton Homes.