Nurse rushes to help 1-year-old child shot in road rage incident, police say

HOUSTON – A 1-year-old child was shot Wednesday near a gas station in southwest Houston, police said.

The shooting was reported around 1 p.m. in the area of the Southwest Freeway and South Gessner Road, police said. The child was transported to an area hospital with at least one gunshot wound, police said. 

"It appeared to be the upper left shoulder near the neck. It did not appear to actually hit the neck it was close, back shoulder," said Houston Police Lt. Alicia Smith. 

The child is in stable condition and is expected to survive, police said. 

Investigators believe the shooting was preempted by a road rage incident where the child's father, 20, rear-ended another vehicle near the intersection of Braeswood Boulevard and Bissonnet Street.

Police said the gunman got out of his vehicle armed with a pistol.

"I heard two shots then cars speeding off," Kit Leung said. "I was worried."

Leung works near where the shooting took place.

During the altercation, the father drove away and the other driver started firing into the rear of the father's vehicle. One bullet traveled through the trunk and hit a child in the chest, authorities said.

A witness told KPRC that the father ran into the gas station, saying his child had been shot.

A nurse inside the gas station rushed to help the child and helped the father call for help. The child was taken to Texas Children's and was reported to be in stable condition.

The shooter's vehicle is described to be a blue, newer-model Toyota or Honda.

VIDEO: Child shot at least once near gas station near Southwest Freeway