A 2-year-old boy shot in Texas while in a car with his mother was rushed to the hospital and is fighting for his life.
The shooting took place at 5:25 p.m. in a parking lot at Haviland Park in Houston on March 30.
There was a party underway at the time, according to Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner.
Witnesses told the police that at least one suspect got out of a gray car and began firing at a red car in the lot, Finner said at a press conference. A mother and her 2-year-old son were in the red car.
Executive Asst Chief @TroyFinner, Commanders Media Briefing on Shooting of Child at 11600 Haviland https://t.co/HmnDLvKLK0
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) March 31, 2019
Other gunmen standing in the area returned fire, Finner said.
Two bullets hit the boy and he was rushed to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and was in critical condition.
“This senseless type of violence needs to simply stop,” Finner said. “It makes no sense. Anyone can see that there’s families and kids in this park. And for a coward to just take a gun and start shooting and then once he starts shooting, more individuals start shooting back at him.”
“Hands off our babies and our children in this city,” Finner added.
A baby boy was caught in the middle of gun violence at Haviland Park this afternoon. The 2YO was shot twice as two sides shot at each other. Luckily he will survive. Live report with the details from police coming up at 10pm #Abc13 pic.twitter.com/FxPGPpoxzg
— Stefania Okolie (@StefaniaOnABC13) March 31, 2019
Police officials urged the shooter to turn him or herself in and any witnesses to come forward and contact the authorities.
“Pray for that young baby and that mother and that entire family,” Finner added.
Officials indicated that the boy would likely survive. Police told the Houston Chronicle that the bullets hit the child in the cheek and buttocks.
Bertha Taylor, who lives near the park, told KPRC that she saw some of the shooting.
“I saw people running around and then I saw girls getting down by the car and dudes shooting,” Taylor said.
2-year-old boy shot, critically hurt: ‘Pray for that young baby and that mother’: https://t.co/fqeSyMhB1o pic.twitter.com/jogsadPa27
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) April 1, 2019
Crime Statistics
Crime declined in the first half of 2018 compared to the first half of 2017, the FBI said in February. Preliminary statistics show nearly all offenses in the violent crime category declined. Robbery offenses decreased 12.5 percent, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses decreased 6.7 percent, and aggravated assault offenses declined 2 percent, the agency said. Rape, however, increased 0.6 percent.
When comparing data from the first six months of 2018 with the first six months of 2017, all property crime categories showed a decrease. Burglaries were down 12.7 percent, larceny-thefts decreased 6.3 percent, and motor vehicle thefts declined 3.3 percent. The full 2018 crime report will be released later this year.
The FBI previously said that both violent crime and property crime decreased in 2017, the last year that full statistics are available for, compared to 2016. Overall violent crime decreased 0.2 percent from 2016 to 2017, while property crime decreased 3 percent during that time, the agency said in September 2018, releasing data from the previous year.
“There were more than 1.2 million violent crimes reported to UCR nationwide in 2017. There was a 0.7 percent decrease in murders and a 4 percent decrease in robberies from 2016 to 2017. Aggravated assaults increased by 1 percent in 2017. The FBI began collecting data solely on an updated rape definition last year, and 135,755 rapes were reported to law enforcement in 2017,” the FBI stated.
“The report also showed there were more than 7.7 million property crimes last year. Burglaries decreased 7.6 percent and larceny-thefts decreased by 2.2 percent. Motor vehicle thefts increased by 0.8 percent from 2016 to 2017.”
The figures were compiled from more than 13,000 law enforcement agencies around the United States that submitted their crime data to the FBI.
