A Houston chef who spent years using his cooking skills to help people in need was fatally shot while handing out food outside the extended-stay hotel where he lived, according to police.
John D. Donat, 58, was killed early Wednesday, Sept. 30, near the 2100 block of South Highway 6 in west Houston. Authorities have since charged 30-year-old Otis Parks with capital murder in connection with the shooting.
Police were called to the area around 2:20 a.m. after reports of gunfire. Officers found Donat suffering from a gunshot wound, while a Chevrolet Tahoe had crashed through a wooden fence in the nearby parking lot. Emergency medical personnel pronounced Donat dead at the scene.
Investigators said Donat had been driving the Tahoe and was offering food to people when a man approached the passenger side of the vehicle and demanded money. One witness told investigators she walked away after seeing the confrontation and then heard gunshots. Shortly afterward, the Tahoe crashed into the fence.
Other witnesses reported hearing the gunfire and seeing a man leave the area. Their descriptions helped police identify a person of interest who was located by officers in the area.
The investigation later led to Parks being charged in Donat’s death.
A chef who made feeding others part of his life
Donat’s death has drawn attention not only because of the shooting but also because of the way he spent much of his time helping others.
His son, Nick Donat, said his father had been feeding homeless people for the past several years. Donat would collect food from local food banks, prepare it and then distribute meals to people who needed them.
Family members said Donat had also experienced difficult periods in his own life, including a struggle with drug addiction. That experience reportedly gave him a particular understanding of people facing similar challenges.
Donat was originally from South Carolina and was the father of two sons. His family is now working to bring his remains home and cover funeral and travel expenses.
A fundraiser created in his memory says Donat had continued using his culinary experience to serve people in need and was helping others shortly before he was killed.
Investigation continues
The shooting remains under investigation. Police have asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the Houston Police Department’s Homicide Division or Crime Stoppers.
Parks is facing a capital murder charge. The case will now move through the Harris County criminal court system, where the allegations against him will be addressed.
For Donat’s family, however, the legal proceedings come alongside the loss of a father whose final moments were spent doing something his loved ones say had become an important part of his life: preparing food and giving it to people who needed it.
