A 7-year-old boy is now stable after surgery following a drive-by shooting that erupted between two vehicles in west Houston on Sunday afternoon. According to ABC13, the incident occurred in the 7700 block of Corporate Drive when a gold or gray sedan and a blue truck with ladders became embroiled in an exchange of gunfire. A child, a bystander caught in the crossfire, was struck by a bullet.
Officials are to actively seek information on the identities of both shooter and the involved in the conflict. The FOX26 Houston report notes that the young victim was hit once in the lower back and is currently in the Intensive Care Unit. Witnesses claim that the shooter, potentially a Black male with dreads, fired from the sedan heading southbound on Corporate, while the target, the northbound blue truck, is yet to be confirmed as returning fire or merely receiving it.
The motivation behind the shooting is still unclear, with road rage or a prior altercation between the individuals in the vehicles being contemplated as possible causes. Houston Police Department's Major Assaults division is investigating the shooting, and paramedics provided immediate assistance at the scene, transporting the boy to a local hospital.
Police have not specified how many shots were fired, and the search for the suspect continues. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner made sure to reach out and offer support. "Chief Troy Finner called and spoke with the young boy's family, who told the chief the child was undergoing surgery," according to a statement obtained by FOX26. "The Chief assured the family our Major Assaults detectives are actively working this senseless act of violence and following up on leads. Chief Finner told family members he is praying for the child's complete recovery, and he would ask Houstonians to do the same, to do the right thing and come forward to help ID the suspect."
Houston authorities are urging anyone with information about the suspect or the incident to contact HPD Major Assaults at 713-308-8800, or to provide an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS, where a reward up to $5,000 is being offered for details leading to an arrest or charges, as mentioned by ABC13.
