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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 12-year-old boy was shot and killed while walking from a store in the Sunnyside area on Monday night, according to police.
The shooting happened in the 4100 block of Barberry Drive near Scott Street around 11 p.m.
HPD commanders and PIO are en route to the fatal shooting of a juvenile male in the 4100 block of Barberry Dr. near Scott St.Preliminary information is a suspect(s) shot the male and then fled the scene.#hounews pic.twitter.com/7BgZC2Wa2N
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) September 5, 2023
Houston police said the 12-year-old was walking home from a store with his friends when they got into an argument with an 18-year-old male.
It’s unclear what the argument was about, but it got heated and escalated, HPD said. That’s when the 18-year-old shot the boy.
The 12-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
“We assume it was an 18-year-old male. That argument — it escalated and the suspect shot the complainant a number of times. Based on the witness description, we believe we know who the suspect is,” Asst. Chief Jessica Anderson said. “He took off running from the apartment complex, according to the witnesses. So, we are now conducting our investigation and searching for the suspect.”
The suspect fled the scene and has not been arrested, but investigators said they have a good idea of who they are looking for.
Police described the gunman only as a Black man who was last seen wearing a khaki shirt and blue jeans.
It’s unclear if the 12-year-old and the 18-year-old knew each other previously, HPD said.
The boy was among five people shot across the Houston area in a span of less than six hours.
Two people were killed on Houston’s southside during an argument over a game of dice, and in northwest Houston, two men were shot and one was killed.