Seven wounded in shooting at flea market in Houston

[February 24, 2020]    (Reuters) - A gunman opened fire at a flea market in Houston on Sunday, wounding seven people in an area known for its Hispanic community, with a suspect being taken into custody at the scene.

"No one is critically wounded," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said, adding that the victims were being taken to hospitals and that some injuries may have been a result of a bullet ricochet.

"We believe at this point those are all minor, superficial type of wounds", Gonzalez said. "A male is detained at the scene."

The shooting occurred as the Sunday market was taking place in the busy area.

"This evening there was a live dance going on here at this location. A lot people including children were inside the location", the Harris County Sheriff said in a briefing.

The investigation was going on and there was no immediate information on the motive of the shooter, according to the sheriff, who said the shooting happened at around 7:00 p.m.

A witness had reported seeing somebody with a gun in the area where weapons are not allowed, the sheriff said.

"It is a miracle nobody else was seriously hurt, especially the children," he said.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Himani Sarkar)

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