After an attempted robbery in Harris County, Texas, four young boys, ages 12 to 14, are either in custody or being treated for their injuries. A 25-year-old man allegedly shot three of the boys as they tried to rob him at gunpoint at his home in Willow Plaza Apartments on N. Houston Rosslyn Road. Neither the man nor the boys involved have been identified, and it is unlikely they will be unless charges are brought against the man for “unlawfully” firing a gun. The three boys shot are being treated for their injuries at a local hospital, and one is in critical condition in the ICU.
Attempted Robbery Takes a Turn
ABC13 spoke with the girlfriend of the 25-year-old man, and she briefly explained what happened during the attempted robbery. The couple was coming home late Christmas evening from a holiday party, and she had fallen asleep in the car. When they arrived at the apartments, the boyfriend went to the passenger side to carry his girlfriend in when at least four armed boys surrounded him. Due to their age and stature, the man assumed the attempted robbery was a prank. He opened fire with his gun when they tried to stick him up, shooting three of the boys and critically injuring one.
From most recent data, a robbery or attempted robbery occurs roughly every two minutes in the United States. In 2022, Houston was ranked 22nd in violent crime. It also is considerably higher in crime compared to other cities in the state the state of Texas. However, they have seen a slight decrease in different types of crime throughout this year. Reported homicides are down by 15% since 2023, and aggravated assault is down by 5%. As for reported robberies within city limits, there were 3,289 in 2023, and this year they are slightly below.
Witness to The Shooting
Authorities say one of the 12-year-old boys is in critical condition after the attempted robbery. Two of the others, ages 12 and 13, returned to the scene of the crime to receive treatment for their nonfatal injuries. The 14-year-old boy involved was not injured and was taken into custody for questioning. Neighbor Bruce ‘Bill’ Bailey witnessed the shooting. He called the police after hearing the 12-year-old cry out for help. Bailey said, “I screamed out to him, ‘Are you OK?’ And he just put his hand in the air and screamed for help, and I went and tried to help him,” KHOU11 reported.
Before then, Bailey was not aware that an attempted robbery took place. He said, “I called the sheriff’s department and ambulance to come and pick up the kid – and of course – at that time, I didn’t know it was a little kid.” He continued, “My other neighbor came and held his and was talking to him, trying to keep him alive.” Bailey and a few other neighbors witnessing the aftermath were feeling quite troubled.
He said, “Of all things, being Christmas, and this is a child, the first thing that comes to my mind is, number one, where is the parent? Number two, if you got here with a gun, what are you doing out here with a gun?”
Final Thoughts
The investigation of the attempted robbery is ongoing, and investigators are working on determining whether the guns wielded by the young boys were real or BB. The 25-year-old man was detained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators at Harris County Sheriff’s Office but has not been charged with anything at this time. The case is expected to be referred to a grand jury. If the grand jury finds there is enough evidence of an individual committing a crime, whether that be one of the boys or the 25-year-old, then they will issue an indictment to have them tried.
It is horrible to have to face such a traumatic experience, especially on Christmas. Those kids should have been anywhere but those apartments, attempting to rob an innocent couple. The 25-year-old man and his girlfriend are probably beside themselves, wondering how it got to the point of having to shoot young boys. As the investigation unfolds, we will hopefully learn why this happened, if the 12-year-old is going to make it, and if the man or other boys will face any charges.
