Shooting suspect, 17-year-old charged after New Caney incident
NEW CANEY, Texas - A man is now in custody for Saturday's "active shooter" incident in New Caney. A 17-year-old who was shot has also been charged in connection to the incident.
New Caney ‘active shooter’
The backstory:
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office says the scene started at about 4:20 p.m. at a home near Nottingham Road, close to Cambridge and Galaxy Boulevards.
In an update late Saturday, officials shared that a 17-year-old had been shot, but the wound was not life-threatening. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and has since been released.
The suspect surrendered to officers about an hour after the incident began. He was also treated for his "minor injuries."
Several other people said they believed they were shot at, but none were hit.
Featured
'Active shooter scene' secured in New Caney area; teen, suspect injured
Law enforcement in Montgomery County have secured a reported active shooting scene in the New Caney area, and the suspect is in custody.
Updates
What we know:
According to Sunday's update from the sheriff's office, 60-year-old Juan Ayala-Montero has been arrested and charged with Felony Deadly Conduct—Discharging a Firearm. His bond is said to be at $80,000. He has also been charged with being an undocumented immigrant in possession of a firearm.
Officials say Ayala has been previously deported from the US, so he also has a Federal ICE detainer in place.
The 17-year-old who was shot was reportedly charged with False Report to a Peace Officer. Officials say he provided information to law enforcement that was later deemed to be "untruthful and hindered the investigation."
(Photo courtesy of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office)
The United States Attorney's Office claims the shooting started with an altercation between a group of people. Ayala-Montero allegedly walked to his house and came back with a rifle.
After their altercation, Ayala allegedly started pointing his firearm at other people in the neighborhood and fired multiple rounds in different directions. Witnesses reportedly said that they were trying to de-escalate the matter, but the suspect continued firing.
One victim was reportedly shot in his torso and head.
Authorities say they found 31 fired shell casings at the scene. The USAO reports they recovered an Olympic Arms .223 AR-style rifle with a scope in Ayala-Montero’s bedroom.
The sheriff's office also shared video allegedly of Ayala pointing his firearm at someone before shooting at them. That person was not injured.
According to the federal officials, Ayala-Montero is not lawfully present in the United States and had been removed in 2006 with no legal authority to reenter the country, which means he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition per federal law.
What we don't know:
Details about the initial altercation are not available.
The Source: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and previous FOX 26 reporting.
