Christian Cotton has been identified as the victim by family members.
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Cotton was playing basketball with friends at about 8 p.m. Tuesday at a basketball court in the 1000 block of Park Lanes Canyon Terrace, according to deputies.
Investigators with the Harris County Sheriff's Office said the suspected shooter is a teenager who knew Cotton. The suspect was questioned, but no charges have been filed yet, deputies said.
Cotton's mother died several years ago, and was raised by his grandmother. Keyumma Archie, a family friend, who has known Cotton for several years, spoke only with ABC13 on behalf of the family.
"He was a beautiful spirit and had a beautiful smile," Archie said. "He is going to be missed."
Deputies are working on gathering more details about a possible motive, but initial reports say investigators believed that the shooting may have stemmed from bullying.
"I think they don't understand the repercussions and consequences," Archie said. "Not only do you change the lives of the victim's family, but you change yours."
According to Archie, Cotton was trying to get on a better path. In 2021, records state he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which he was still on probation for.
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"He was a baby," Archie said. "They get in trouble sometimes, but a lot of them don't live to make it right. He was trying to do that. We tried to find him a GED program. He was really sweet and protective. If he loved you, you knew it. He was really loyal."
According to the sheriff's office, there have been 48 murders so far this year, not including in the city. This is down 27% compared to last year. Officials have said they've seen a trend with teens and young adults involved in these violent crimes.
Over the years, Archie said she has taken in other teens and said she had faced challenges finding the right resources to support them along the way.
"For my boys, I have been speaking to several mentorship programs. They were full or lacked volunteers. I just need people to understand it takes a village to raise these kids," she said.
Mayor Sylvester Turner's multi-million dollar crime-fighting initiative, One Safe Houston, focuses on helping youth in the area with programs like Hire Houston Youth. Archie believes there's still much work to be done.
"I think they need to have more programs to keep them busy," Archie said. "Like the summer programs with the jobs. I think it should be available to a wider spectrum. Some live in Humble, but that doesn't mean we have money, so those kids may not qualify for those programs."