HOUSTON – An innocent 14-year-old bystander was shot by a juvenile suspect who was trying to shoot another teen near Louie Welch Middle School in southwest Houston Wednesday, the Houston Police Department said.
Officers received reports from Houston Independent School District about gunshots heard near the 8500 block of West Bellfort Boulevard at around 7:51 a.m.
According to HPD, a teen was transported to the hospital with a gunshot wound.
HPD investigators said a disagreement between two juveniles led to Monday’s shooting. The suspect found the other teen and began shooting as the teen took off running, HPD said. At one point, police said the suspect ended up at a strip center on South Gessner and West Bellfort and began to shoot at the other teen from across the street. A 14-year-old who was in a vehicle traveling northbound was hit, investigators said.
Police said the teen that the suspect was initially shooting at ran into Welch Middle School, where he is a student, and told the principal what happened. The school then went on lockdown.
Officers said the teen who was targeted returned to the original scene with them and recalled what happened. Police said the suspect’s stolen vehicle was found nearby.
Asst Chief @BashirHPD Media Briefing on Shooting at 8500 block of West Bellfort https://t.co/7qqEydl6GE
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) April 12, 2023
Police said they are looking for the suspect, who was only described by police as a 14 to 16-year-old male. Officers are still canvassing the area for surveillance video and tips. It’s unclear if the gun that the teen used was found nearby.
Parents picked up their children at the school, which is located at 11544 South Gessner Rd.
Welch Middle School parents received the following callout message regarding the incident:
“This is an important message for Welch Middle School parents from Principal Everett. Our campus is temporarily in secure mode as a precautionary measure while police investigate suspicious activity in the area. Once we receive the all-clear and the designation will be lifted. Our students are safe, our building is secure, and our instructional day continues normally. Again, this was an important message for Welch Middle School parents from Principal Everett.”
Anyone with information on this shooting is urged to call the HPD Major Assaults Division at (713) 378-8800 or Crime Stopper at (713) 222-TIPS for a reward of up to $5,000.
See map of where the shooting happened: