Houston girl, 12, struck by stray bullet from celebratory gunfire on New Year's Day
Houston girl, 12, struck by celebratory gunfire; close call for 3-year-old's family
The Houston Police Department says a 12-year-old girl was grazed in the neck by a stray bullet from celebratory gunfire on New Year's Day. Around the same time, another family says a bullet barely missed a 3-year-old girl.
HOUSTON - A 12-year-old girl was struck by a stray bullet from celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Day, Houston’s police chief says.
According to Chief Troy Finner, the incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. in the 6400 block of West Belfort.
MORE: Houston police warning against the use of celebratory New Year's gunfire
He says the girl was taken to the hospital with a graze wound to the neck and is expected to be OK.
Police are asking for the public to come forward with any information about the shooting. They can call HPD Major Assaults at (713) 308-8800 or Crime Stoppers at (713)222-TIPS.
"This child and her family deserve justice," the chief said in a statement Sunday.
In the statement, Chief Finner also said that officers arrested five suspects over the holiday for illegally discharging firearms in the city and took into custody another 43 suspects for drunk driving.
"While most of us made it home safely this New Year, a number of individuals spent the night in jail after not heeding our warnings on engaging celebratory gunfire and drunk driving," Chief Finner said.
In another incident in Harris County, a family told FOX 26 that their New Year’s celebration took a scary turn when a stray bullet almost struck a 3-year-old girl.
MORE: Celebratory gunfire almost hit 3-year-old after flying through window, lodging into wall
They say the bullet came flying through the backyard fence, whisked past people dancing on the patio, and then crashed into a bedroom window, flying over the head of the girl. No one was injured.
"If she had been sitting up that would've been right to the head. I don't want to think about it,"her mother said.