An 18-year-old Houston man is facing federal carjacking and firearms charges after a fatal shooting in the Heights area, according to a March 10 announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The case centers on the death of a woman who was shot on March 6 while returning to an apartment complex after spending the day at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The incident has drawn attention due to its violent nature and the subsequent pursuit that led to the suspect’s arrest.
According to federal authorities, Darius Dewayne Hall allegedly shot the victim, stole her vehicle—a 2019 Toyota Highlander—and attempted to evade law enforcement by changing clothes and fleeing both in the vehicle and on foot. Witnesses reported hearing a scream followed by a loud popping sound before seeing Hall go through the victim’s purse and drive away. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and was pronounced dead at Memorial Hermann Hospital shortly after midnight.
Law enforcement located the stolen vehicle soon after, but it fled from officers, resulting in a crash. Hall then attempted to escape on foot but was apprehended after discarding clothing he had worn during the crime, according to authorities. He is currently in custody on related state charges and is expected to appear in federal court soon.
If convicted of federal carjacking, Hall faces up to life imprisonment or possibly death, as well as a minimum of ten years for related firearms offenses. Both convictions could also result in fines up to $250,000. The FBI-Houston Field Office led the investigation with help from Houston Police Department, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black is prosecuting.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas has included notable figures such as Alamdar Hamdani and Ryan Patrick among its former leaders according to the official history page. The office operates out of several cities including Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville as described on its official website. It is part of the U.S. Department of Justice under the Attorney General according to its official website, employs more than 200 attorneys covering 43 counties with over nine million residents as detailed online, and focuses on prosecuting federal crimes as well as handling civil cases for the government according to its official website. Alamdar Hamdani served as U.S. Attorney from 2022 through 2025 as noted on its history page.
Authorities remind that a criminal complaint is only an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
