Reward increased to $10K in downtown Atlanta hookah lounge killing

As investigators continue their search for three men suspected in a deadly shooting outside of a hookah lounge in northwest Atlanta in January, the Crime Stoppers reward for the suspects has increased to $10,000.

Atlanta police are asking for help from the public to identify the men who killed 29-year-old Deandre Houston, spokesman Sgt. John Chafee said in a news release. Houston was found with a gunshot wound outside of Encore Hookah Bar & Bistro on Luckie Street just before midnight Jan. 7. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Chafee said.

Investigators have released surveillance video and still images of two men who are wanted for questioning after they were spotted in the area of the shooting.

According to the initial investigation, Houston had left the hookah bar and was walking to his car to charge his cellphone. On the way to his car, a black Nissan Sentra that had recently been carjacked in Midtown pulled up near Houston with three men inside. One of the men stepped out of the car and shot Houston, killing him, police said.

After the shooting, the three suspects fled to the MARTA station on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, where they abandoned the car and continued to flee.

In addition to the reward increase, Houston’s family made a public plea for information at a news conference at the Atlanta Police Department’s headquarters Tuesday. His mother described Houston as “a humble and bright human being.”