An 18-year-old woman was struck by a bullet while sitting in a parked car outside a Kerrville home, prompting an airlift to a San Antonio hospital and an ongoing search for whoever opened fire. Kerrville Police say a suspect drove by the 300 block of West Schreiner Street before 10 p.m. and fired several rounds toward the home and people gathered in the front yard, with at least one round striking the occupied residence.
According to WOAI, the young woman was sitting in a parked car in front of the home when she was hit. She was reported in stable condition after being flown to San Antonio for treatment, and the station's report notes no other injuries were reported from the shooting. Kerrville Police are investigating the incident and have not announced any arrests.
Why the Victim Was Flown to San Antonio
Kerrville's own hospital, Peterson Regional Medical Center on Hill Country Drive, operates as a Level IV Trauma Center, meaning it can evaluate and stabilize patients but is not equipped for the most severe trauma cases, according to Peterson Health. San Antonio sits roughly 65 driving miles southeast of Kerrville and serves as the region's central trauma hub, with Level I facilities including University Hospital and Brooke Army Medical Center reachable by air ambulance providers such as Air Evac Lifeteam, per the San Antonio Express-News. That gap in trauma-care capability explains why critically injured patients from the Hill Country are routinely flown rather than driven to San Antonio hospitals.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective Colton Willoughby with the Kerrville Police Department at 830-258-1315, per the station's report. Kerr County also maintains a separate anonymous tip channel: residents can reach Kerr County Crime Stoppers at 830-896-8477 or submit tips online through kerrtips.com for potential cash rewards, according to Kerr County Emergency Services.
Potential Felony Charges Under Texas Law
Whoever is eventually identified in the shooting could face serious felony exposure under Texas law. Knowingly discharging a firearm at or in the direction of an occupied home, building, or vehicle is classified as Deadly Conduct, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to L&L Law Group. Separately, an assault involving a firearm that causes bodily injury can be charged as Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a second-degree felony carrying two to 20 years in prison that can escalate to a first-degree felony punishable by up to life imprisonment under certain aggravating circumstances, per Varghese Summersett.
A Rare Crime for a Low-Crime Hill Country City
Kerrville, the county seat of Kerr County, has an estimated population of around 25,800 residents as of 2026, up from 24,278 recorded in the 2020 Census, according to Wikipedia. FBI crime data compiled by NeighborhoodScout shows Kerrville's overall crime rate is lower than roughly 59 percent of Texas communities, with violent crime occurring at an estimated rate of about 1.47 to 3.6 per 1,000 residents annually, per NeighborhoodScout. That makes a residential drive-by shooting an unusual event for the city, though it is not unprecedented on this particular street.
West Schreiner Street was the scene of another violent shooting in October 2016, when gunfire erupted during an argument near Paschal Avenue and critically wounded a 7-year-old girl in the head before she was rushed to a San Antonio hospital, according to KSAT. The Kerrville Police Department is currently led by Chief Jerel Haley, who was sworn in this past June after the retirement of longtime Chief Chris McCall, KSAT has reported. The department also works alongside the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Larry Leitha, which oversees emergency operations across more than 1,100 square miles of the Texas Hill Country and routinely collaborates with city police on major felony cases, according to the Kerr County Sheriff's Office.
The suspect's identity, vehicle description, and motive for the shooting remain unknown as the investigation continues. The current condition of the 18-year-old victim beyond her reported stable status has not been updated.
