Isaiah Joshua Lee Houston, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been federally charged in connection with an armed carjacking that occurred last Friday morning in downtown Lubbock, Texas, near the federal and county courthouses.
Houston was charged by federal complaint less than eight hours after the May 29, 2026, incident, which concluded with him being shot. He made his initial appearance on June 1, 2026, and remains in federal custody, facing a statutory maximum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison if convicted.
According to the complaint, Houston first attempted to open the driver’s door of a box truck stopped at a red light before running towards a black SUV parked nearby. He pulled a knife, forcibly removed an adult female holding a newborn baby from the driver’s seat, and entered the vehicle. Houston was then confronted by a security guard and an off-duty Lubbock Police Department officer, prompting him to flee.
He continued running around the Lubbock County Courthouse and attempted to climb into a moving pickup truck. The security guard, observing Houston still holding the knife, fired shots, hitting him once in the leg. Houston was subsequently taken into custody, and the knife was recovered.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould emphasized the swift response, stating, “When violent criminals seek to target innocent members of the public, together we will swiftly find them, charge them, and use the full weight of federal and state laws to hold them accountable.” Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner of the ATF Dallas Field Division added that the swift response helped bring the dangerous situation to a safe conclusion. FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock affirmed that combating violent crime remains a priority for the FBI.
Multiple federal and state agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center, collaborated on the investigation. A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.