HOUSTON – Houston police said they are investigating the shooting of a 15-year-old girl in southeast Houston Friday morning.
Officers said the shooting happened at an apartment complex located at 12601 S. Green Dr. around 12:15 a.m.
“From what we are hearing from family members, the young lady tends to run away quite often. Her mother and stepfather have been trying to locate her several days in the past, trying to get ahold of her. She seems to run away constantly,” Lt. Willkens of the Houston Police Department said.
Investigators said the teen was found by her brother and his girlfriend. She was staying with friends at the apartments.
“The brother came back to this location and he had a pistol. He was holding the 15-year-old girl, assuming, trying to keep her from running away, scaring her. We are not sure,” Lt. Willkens said.
Police said the brother asked individuals to get his sister’s stuff from an apartment and that’s when things went downhill.
“The individuals in that apartment heard a pop, a round go off and heard, ‘Why did you do that?’” Lt. Willkens said.
Witnesses told officers the victim might have been shot by her 20-year-old brother. A family member advised officers the man admitted to shooting his sister and was not at the scene when officers arrived. Detectives are asking him to come forward for questioning.
Investigators said they are also working with the parents to try and figure out their whereabouts.
“So hopefully he will show up and give us a statement on how this happened,” Willkens said.
The identity of the victim, 15, is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Anyone with additional information on the shooting is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.