Houston mother frustrated no one has been held responsible in daughter's shooting

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The mother of a young girl who was shot in 2020 said she is furious and frustrated that no one has been held responsible for her daughter's pain. With a lack of leads, Houston police said the case is inactive.

Gabby was fast asleep when a bullet came through a wall at a hotel in northwest Houston and hit her in the leg. Since then, her life hasn't gone back to normal.

"Before this happened, she was very energetic. Very outgoing," said Kadrina Payton, Gabby's mother.

She said all that changed after Gabby woke up screaming at the InTown Suites off the Northwest Freeway on Aug. 12, 2020. She was just 12 years old at the time of the shooting.

Gabby spent her 13th birthday in the hospital, and she spent her 14th birthday in pain.

"My baby literally went from walking to crawling. She crawled for two months," Payton said.

A photograph shows where a bullet pierced the back of Gabby's calf. Payton said doctors didn't remove the bullet to minimize nerve damage.

"I'm a parent with a child who has a bullet in her leg, and nobody is telling me anything. I have to figure out how to help my child by myself," she said.

Payton is now homeschooling Gabby, and she got her an emotional support dog. But what she really wants is justice.

"Somebody else did this, and somebody else should be held responsible for this," she said. "She has to live like this for the rest of her life."

Houston police said surveillance video from the scene was inconclusive, and the guests in the room where the bullet came from had conflicting stories. That means no one has been charged for the reckless conduct that changed Gabby's life, though HPD said the victim's services unit can offer her assistance.

"I'm not looking for a sense of you being helpful. I'm looking for a sense of some type of justice," Payton said.

The lack of answers compounds the pain that keeps gabby from playing. Payton said they won't have a treatment plan until November when they are able to meet with more doctors.

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