Baby's road rage shooting is wake-up call: HPD chief
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- After a baby was shot in the back during an apparent road rage shooting, Houston's police chief is calling for lawmakers to work harder to keep guns away from criminals.
Chief Art Acevedo is working out of town on a training assignment, but he's being updated on the search for the gunman.
A father was driving on the Southwest Freeway feeder when he reportedly cut off another driver by accident. The driver of the other car then fired into the man's vehicle, hitting the 1-year-old in the back.
RELATED: 1-year-old injured during road rage shooting in southwest Houston: police
The child is in the hospital in stable condition. Due to the victim's age, homicide detectives are helping search for the shooter.
"It's just outrageous that someone would be such a coward and so callous, that they would just shoot someone, and we have a 1-year-old sweet little angel that's been wounded," Acevedo said.
He acknowledged that road rage is a major problem on Houston roads.
"It's a problem in our culture," Acevedo said. "A lot of cars, frustration and unfortunately, because of the proliferation of firearms, people just do stupid things."
Acevedo said while the majority of Texans who own guns abide by the law, the number of repeat criminals who gain access to firearms is a growing danger to public safety.
"We have elected leaders at the state and federal level that are doing nothing about people who would do us harm with firearms."
Acevedo pointed to recent incidents of mass shootings and horrendous incidents like the toddler shot Wednesday as wake-up calls for leaders.
"It just angers me beyond belief, and we can do better," Acevedo said. "We must do better, and we will do better when we all speak out."
The family of little Brandon Jayden Ross has launched two GoFundMe campaigns: one to help cover his medical expenses and another for a birthday party to lift his spirits.
