HOUSTON – A 12-year-old child was reportedly shot and killed on Monday night as he was walking home from the store with his friends in the Sunnyside area.
According to Houston police, the shooting took place in the 4111 Barberry Drive near Scott at around 11 p.m. on Labor Day.
Investigators said the victim and his friends were reportedly walking home from a corner store when they got into an argument with an 18-year-old man.
The argument then escalated, according to HPD, and the suspect allegedly opened fire on the kids, striking the 12-year-old multiple times.
The suspect then fled into a nearby apartment on foot.
In a news conference Tuesday, HPD Chief Troy Finner said the department is committed to finding the suspect.
Watch the full news conference below:
“The chief and our entire team, our leadership team is out here today in support of this community and we’re going to have some justice for this 12-year-old kid who, again, should be at school right now, and it’s sad,” HPD Chief Troy Finner said.
Finner said he spoke with the victim’s father.
“You can imagine they’re in shock right now,” Finner said. “And I can tell you his anger through the phone, I can feel it. Do we expect anything different right now? We don’t, so the police department and everybody else needs to be patient with them. Don’t start pointing fingers. Let’s work on the ‘who’ right now. And the ‘who’ is who did it. The suspect, we’re going to get your butt in custody. I promise you that.”
Finner also vowed the department would support the victim’s school.
“Again, pray for the family, but pray for his school,” Finner said. “My mind goes out to, ‘If I’m a student, if one of my classmates (was) killed tragically, then I’m feeling insecure.’ I don’t think that this is a random event and I think what we know now, it might be targeted and we’re going to find out why.”
KPRC 2 reached out to those who knew the child.
“Whatever happened, whoever he got into it with, they didn’t have to do that,” football Coach Quincy said. He added that he was trying to get the boy into his after-school football program. ″Good kid, good kid, really friendly kid.”
Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or speak anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.