2-year-old shot in head while in parents' car expected to live: HPD

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 2-year-old girl who was shot in the head while riding in her parents' vehicle is expected to live, police said. She was shot during a shootout between two vehicles, HPD added.

Teddy bears and toys are now taped to a light pole near the intersection of Benmar and City View Place, where the shooting happened around 2 a.m. Friday.

When officers arrived at the scene at 2:30 a.m., they said they found several shell casings on the ground.

The little girl, who was inside a car with her parents and another adult, was struck in the head by a bullet and was rushed to Northwest Medical Center by her parents. Eventually, she was transported to Memorial Hermann hospital.

Houston Police Executive Asst. Chief Troy Finner said the child, the child's mom and dad and another adult were in the gray Lincoln when someone in that car fired several rounds. Finner said that's when another person fired back into the Lincoln and hit the little girl.

Police are investigating the motive, but Finner said while he can't confirm it, it's "possibly gang-related."

"If anybody kills or shoots one of our kids, we're going after them," police said.

"When we woke up this morning and I saw the story on Facebook, I immediately started crying," said Julie Helmke, who lives nearby.

The mother along with her 7-year-old daughter, Macie, left toys and a few items near the scene in a show of support for the recovering child.

The search is still on to find the suspect who fired the shots and anyone with information should contact the Houston Police Department.

"Whoever is responsible for this shooting, turn yourselves in. We're batting 1,000 in the City of Houston. Right now, if anyone kills or shoots one of our kids, we're going after them," Finner said. "Anyone who harms a kid, we'll put you in jail."

Police said there was a shootout between 2 vehicles when the child sitting in the backseat was shot in the head.

Tragically, this is the latest in a recent number of shootings involving children in the Houston area.

On Tuesday, 2-year-old Ivory West Jr. was shot to death while he, his father and his father's friend were in a garage at an apartment complex in Spring.

Ivory's mother spoke to ABC13 in an emotional interview as she recalled the moments of that night.

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