Houston shooting near Welch Middle School injures 14-year-old bystander, targeted shooting police say

HOUSTON - A 14-year-old HISD student who was simply on his way to school this morning was shot as gunshots rang out near Welch Middle School on South Gessner at West Bellfort.

Police say a Welch Middle School student was the intended target, but the barrage of bullets meant for him miraculously missed.

The rapid-fire gunshots heard clearly even on a surveillance camera inside a nearby business, rang out at 7:45 a.m. across the street from Welch Middle School, sparking an emergency. The district said the school was placed on secure mode as a precaution, but the students are safe and the school is secure.

The teen who was injured in the shooting was not a student at the school.

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"It was not a lockdown but secure mode. The school actually went into secure mode," says HISD Asst Police Chief Lucretia Rogers.

The shooting occurred around 7:51 a.m. Wednesday, but police believe the incident stemmed from a dispute the previous day between two juveniles.

Houston police investigators say the teen who opened fire was driving a gray Toyota Rav4. Witnesses say you see him in surveillance video driving up, and he took aim while he was driving and started shooting, but that boy wasn't shot.

According to police, on Wednesday, the suspect located the teen, and at some point, began shooting at him. Police say the teen took off running westbound on S. Gessner and ended up near a business strip center at the intersection with W. Bellfort. The teen then ran to Welch Middle School and told the principal what happened. He was not injured.

"We heard pops. Then I heard like shattered glass," explains one mom whose truck was shot, and she doesn't want to be identified. She was stopped, grabbing breakfast before dropping her son off at Welch Middle when the shooting happened. 

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Her son was still in the truck when her pickup was shot.

"As a mother, it's heartbreaking to see this, especially with our children. So there are a lot of emotions right now. I'm still processing them. (And you're still shaking?) Yes, I am," the mom says.

Another stray bullet ripped through a 14-year-old’s family's Prius.

The teen who is an HISD high school student was in the passenger seat and on his way to school when he was shot. He’s said to be in stable condition.

Officers arrived in less than one minute because the gunfire happened just seconds from HPD's South Gessner Sub-Station.

"Literally right down the block. Our officers were in the area and actually did hear the gunshots and immediately came to this location," explains HPD S. Gessner Division Commander Adrian Rodriguez who says one of his officers gave the 14-year-old first aid until paramedics arrived and rushed the teen to Texas Children’s Hospital.

"They know each other, so we're trying to get the name and everything else, but that's still under investigation," says HPD Asst Chief Yasar Bashir.

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It’s an ordeal parents say they still can't believe happened, with bullets flying in broad daylight, hitting one child and narrowly missing several others.

"I’m just grateful he's here and nothing happened. His birthday is coming up, so I'll make sure we make this one a very special one for him," says the mom whose son was in their pickup truck when the truck was shot.

Investigators say they are still trying to track down the boy who opened fire. He's believed to be just 14-to-16 years old.

Detectives recovered the SUV he was driving, but it turns out it was stolen.

Anyone with information is asked to call HPD Major Assaults at 713-308-8800 or speak anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.