In the early house on a Sunday morning, a routine pizza delivery in Houston turned into a harrowing encounter in which an armed delivery driver was forced to defend himself from would-be robbers. The altercation left one of the alleged robbers dead and the other at large.

At around 12:40 a.m., the driver arrived at an apartment complex to deliver a pizza. After fearing for his life, he shot one of two men allegedly attempting to rob him. He waited for police officers to respond to the scene.

Police said the driver went to the address to deliver a pizza and was confronted by two men demanding money at gunpoint. According to HPD, he pulled out his own gun and shot, killing one of the men. The second man reportedly ran away.

House Police Department spokesperson Shay Awosiyan told reporters that they did not yet know whether the alleged robbers were customers or residents living in the facility.

Sgt. Mark Holbrook described the incident in a statement to the press.

“What we know now is that our deceased victim got into a confrontation with a pizza delivery driver. The pizza delivery driver shot him multiple times. He is deceased on the scene. The pizza delivery driver is cooperating and speaking with investigators about this incident. And there were witnesses who saw parts of what happened.”

He added: “We’re not sure how the pizza delivery went so wrong that somebody wound up getting shot, but that is what we’re investigating right now.”

Sergeant Mark Holbrook describes encounter in which pizza delivery driver in Houston shot an assailant attempting to rob him. pic.twitter.com/RYVepdzWeV

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The identity of the deceased was revealed by his brother, Ameer White, as 21-year-old Areyeh White. He expressed confusion and sorrow at the death of his brother, saying “They say he was the pizza delivery guy, but we don’t have a receipt that he was buying a pizza. If you were the pizza delivery guy, why were you armed?”

The authorities later confirmed to the press that the driver was delivering a pizza.

This is the latest in a series of robberies in Houston.

The incident is one of several shootings that took place in Houston over the weekend. And just last month, a Papa John's delivery driver was targeted by two robbers in a residential neighborhood in the city. Following the attack, the suspects reportedly took his car, cash, and pizza.

The case has already attracted a significant level of attention and is set to be referred to a grand jury. The focus will likely be on whether the use of deadly force was justified.

This incident highlights the dangers delivery drivers face along with the policies companies employ regarding whether their employees are allowed to carry firearms to defend themselves against robbers and other violent criminals. Indeed, the role of a delivery driver is a dangerous job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that almost 17 percent of delivery drivers who are hurt on the job were victims of assault, robbery, or homicide. In light of this, it is no surprise that at least some of those working in these jobs would carry firearms.