A Houston teenager was forced to defend himself and his mother yesterday night when he shot two would-be robbers at an apartment complex, one of whom died at the scene. The incident, which occurred around 10:50 p.m. on the 7700 block of Corporate Drive, allegedly began with a transaction gone awry. According to Houston Police, two teens assaulted the victim with brass knuckles, then demanded he retrieve valuables from his apartment. Upon entering, the teen received a gun from his mother and subsequently shot both assailants when they continued to threaten him and demand his possessions, as FOX 26 Houston reported.

One of the suspects succumbed to their injuries at the scene, while the other was transported to a local hospital with gunshot wounds to the abdomen and leg, police say. The teen who fired the shots was also taken to a hospital after being heavily assaulted by the suspects. This violent encounter on Corporate Drive was not the sole shooting to disrupt the area's precarious calm, a mere days prior, a young bystander fell victim to another instance of gunfire.

In a separate but equally chilling incident, a 7-year-old boy was caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting last Sunday, according to ABC13 Houston. The boy was on a sidewalk in the same block when two vehicles, a gold or gray sedan and a blue truck, exchanged gunfire at approximately 2:55 p.m. Police believe the shooter, described as a Black man with dreads driving the sedan, was aiming at the truck but instead struck the child.

The young victim, who has not been named, was rushed to the hospital and remains in stable condition following surgery. Authorities are still piecing together the motivations behind the shooting, looking into whether it was spurred by road rage or a more personal dispute. Houston Police urge anyone with information on the identity of the suspect, or those involved in this incident, to reach out to HPD Major Assaults or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Houston.