Man fires shots at 5 Orlando sites in 20 minutes, wounding 2 women, Florida cops say

A 19-year-old Georgia man has been arrested in a succession of shootings near Orlando that wounded two women and left several others with minor injuries, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators say they are still trying to piece together why Jailen Rasheed Houston went on the Dec. 14 shooting spree, but he created five crime scenes in 20 minutes, including two at resorts, Undersheriff Mark Canty said at a news conference on Thursday, Dec. 15.

The wounded included a female security guard at one resort, he said. An undisclosed number of people were hit by flying glass when vehicles were shot at, Canty said.

Identities and conditions for the two wounded women were not released.

Investigators say the shootings began around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday and ended when Houston crashed his car on Interstate 4 near the Osceola County line.

He was arrested when a deputy “rolled up on the crash and saw him sitting outside his vehicle,” Canty said.

“During the interview with Houston, he was asked how he felt about the shootings, and he said he felt good, said it relieved some of the frustration that he felt.

“When asked if he would have conducted similar shootings in the future he said he would, so this is a person that we really needed to get off the streets.”

Houston is from Dallas, Georgia, and had been in Orlando about two days, Canty said.

He is charged with one count of attempted murder with a firearm and other charges are pending, officials said.

Investigators are still constructing a chronology, but it is believed the shootings began when Houston walked into the lobby of the Westgate Lakes Resort on Turkey Lake Road “and opened fire, striking a female who was approximately in her 20s,” Canty said.

Among the other crime scenes:

• At around 10:50 p.m, he drove to the Marriott’s Cypress Harbour Villas “and shot at a security guard. That’s a woman also in her 20s,” Canty said.
• Shots were fired at the Marriott Residence Inn at 11000 Westwood Boulevard. No one was injured.
• Callers reported Houston “pointed a rifle at some individuals” at the Integra Cove Apartments and fired shots, “striking several apartments.”
• Shots were also fired at two vehicles and a van as they sat at the intersection of Central Florida Parkway and Westwood Boulevard, Canty said. No one was struck by bullets, but several had minor injuries caused by flying glass, Canty said.

“We know these events happened very, very quickly and he had enough time to do these events and then drive at very high speeds about 10 miles toward the Osceola County line,” Canty said. “It could have been a lot worse. We’re thankful that it’s not.”

Investigators say Houston “made some spontaneous statements about what had happened” as he was being arrested.

“He did say he felt frustrated that he had been scammed at that hotel. That’s why he did it. But he has said nothing else about why he did any of the other shootings,” Canty said. “It’s kind of shocking and it is a little scary.”

Houston said he had come to Orlando to attend college, but that has yet to be confirmed.

This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Man fires shots at 5 Orlando sites in 20 minutes, wounding 2 women, Florida cops say."