A manhunt is underway for the suspect charged in the shooting of a young girl during a road rage incident in Houston last year. Marcus Keith Burns, 29, faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection to the July 2023 shooting, which occurred at 7500 Bellfort Avenue around 7:25 p.m. on July 9, authorities revealed.
According to the Houston Police Department (HPD), the 7-year-old victim was riding in her mother’s car when Burns allegedly fired shots into the vehicle, striking the child in the leg and thigh. Law enforcement officials stated that Burns is yet to be apprehended and they are seeking public assistance to quickly to locate him. A 2022 booking photo of the suspect has been released, divulged the HPD in a news release.
The juvenile victim was promptly taken to an area hospital where she was reported to be in stable condition. Detectives R. Cook and M. Deleon from HPD’s Major Assaults & Family Violence Division, who were dispatched to the crime scene initially, reported that the mother and the male suspect had been tangled up in a road rage spat leading up to the shooting.
The breakthrough in the case came after continued investigation, which led to the identification of Burns as the suspect. Charges were formally laid against him on Thursday, February 1. Authorities are now calling on anyone with knowledge of Burns’ whereabouts to come forward and contact the HPD Major Assaults & Family Violence Division at 713-308-8800 or to anonymously inform Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS, in a bid to aid in his capture.
