An 18-year-old Houston resident, Patrick Santana Scott, has been charged with illegal possession of a machine gun and unlawful receipt of a firearm and ammunition in connection with the fatal shooting that occurred on a Metro bus in Houston. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Scott is currently in custody on related charges and will make his initial appearance in federal court at a later date.
According to a criminal complaint filed on January 16, the incident took place on January 7 while the Metro bus was carrying passengers. The complaint states that Scott was seated near the rear of the bus with a backpack when another individual entered, approached him, and fired a weapon in his direction. Court documents allege that Scott then retrieved a firearm from his backpack and pointed it at the shooter.
The exchange of gunfire resulted in the death of a female passenger who was sitting in front of Scott; she died from a gunshot wound to the head. A juvenile male passenger also sustained injuries and received treatment for a gunshot wound.
Investigators recovered shell casings from the scene, one of which matched a 9mm Glock handgun found the next day and linked to Scott. According to authorities, this weapon had been modified with a "switch," converting it from semi-automatic to fully automatic fire.
At the time of the shooting, Scott was under indictment in Harris County for aggravated robbery, making it illegal for him to possess firearms or ammunition under federal law.
“SDTX has zero tolerance for those violent criminals who would turn our public transit into battlefields,” said Ganjei. “Scott is alleged to have violated his bond conditions by possessing a firearm—a decision that directly contributed to the death of innocent young woman and the wounding of a teen bystander. The facts, as alleged, paint the picture of somebody with no respect either for the law or for the life and health of his fellow citizens. With these federal charges, the Southern District aims to change his way of thinking.”
FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams commented: “While out on bond for aggravated robbery charges in Harris County, Patrick Scott was the last person who should have allegedly been in possession of a machine gun conversion device. A young woman was killed and a teenager endures a long recovery because of the disregard Scott and a teen rival held for innocent lives on that bus that afternoon. FBI Houston applauds the United States Attorney’s Office for holding alleged repeat violent offenders accountable at the federal level. We hope these charges make others consider the life-and-death consequences of their irresponsible actions.”
If convicted, Scott faces up to ten years in federal prison for possession of a machine gun and up to five years for receiving firearms or ammunition while under indictment. Each charge carries up to $250,000 in fines.
The investigation was conducted by FBI Houston with support from Houston Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron Black is prosecuting this case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process.
