Just on Saturday, an 11-year-old boy was shot to death in Houston, Texas. He was doing what’s known as “doorbell ditching,” a classic prank where people ring strangers’ doorbells and sprint away. This shooting took place, as so many do, in an Eastside neighborhood. Prior to the shooting, the boy and his friends were reportedly ringing doorbells.
According to the Houston Police Department, the 9-year-old boy in question was shot in the back. He had run out of a home earlier. Witnesses reported that he was hit multiple times while he was running down the street away from them playing with his friends. The police have not divulged the victim’s name. They have not officially named the occupant of the home who was shot.
One person who watched the crash unfold called it a very chaotic scene. They witnessed someone leave the residence and begin firing at the pack of children as they fled for their lives. The witness recounted, “Unfortunately, sadly enough, one of the boys, who was 11 years old, was shot in the back,” emphasizing the tragic nature of the incident.
In retaliation for the shooting, police arrested an elderly man who had been charged with shooting a 16-year-old girl, returned fire at her, she said. Within a few hours of the attack, police arrested the man. They watched as police led him in handcuffs from a police vehicle back to the house where the shooting occurred. In addition, a stash of weapons was found in the man’s home.
Officers have not disclosed further details regarding the identities of those involved or any potential charges against the arrested individual.
As this tragic story unfolds, community members are shocked. They are just trying to deal with the loss of a young life cut down far too soon. The police are still determined to find every aspect of this incident to restore justice.