3 teenagers shot by masked gunman while walking on sidewalk in SE Houston, police say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- There's been an apparent rise in gun violence involving kids throughout the Houston area.

In less than two days, five kids have been hurt or killed by gunfire.

On Monday night, a 9-year-old girl was shot and killed, and her mother was hurt in a shooting in The Heights.

READ MORE: 9-year-old shot and killed, mother injured in northwest Houston, police say

Officers responded and found the 9-year-old with a gunshot wound to the head. She later died at the hospital.

Police said they know who the suspect is and are searching for him.

Investigators are also looking for a gunman who killed a 7-year-old boy during a drive-by shooting in east Harris County.

Deputies said Paul Vasquez was shot in the chest while sleeping in his bed on Sunday night.

SEE ALSO: 'It was clearly targeted': Boy killed when person fired multiple shots at E. Harris Co. home

Authorities say the 7-year-old was in bed when he was shot. After the shooting, he got up and told his mother he'd been hit before becoming unresponsive.

In a third shooting involving children, three juveniles were shot in an apartment complex parking lot in southeast Houston around 2:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Houston police are pleading with parents to keep track of their children during late night to early morning hours in order to keep them safe.

This is after an armed man in a mask shot three teenage boys, HPD said.

According to police, the gunman was wearing a gray hoodie and a mask.

The three teens were walking on the sidewalk in an apartment complex in the 1200 block of Redford when the gunman ran past them and fired shots, HPD said.

ABC13 video from the scene shows their bikes left in the road.

Police said the youngest boy, who is 14 years old, was shot twice -- once in the chest and once in the leg.

A second teen, who is 16 years old, was shot in the leg, police said. Officers had to apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

Both boys were taken to the hospital in critical, but stable, condition, according to HPD.

The third teen, who is also 16 years old, was shot in the stomach but was able to run to a nearby 7-Eleven to call for help. Someone picked him up and took him to the hospital, where police said he was treated and stabilized.

Police were able to recover the gun at the scene, but still don't know why the shooting happened in the first place.

Though there is no known suspect description, police believe this was a targeted incident.

A neighbor who called 911 told ABC13 he heard the gunshots and heard the teens calling for help. He said he saw the gunman toss his weapon.

The neighbor said at this point, he is tired of the violence and is ready to move his family out of the area.

"At 2, 3 in the morning, teenagers really need to be in the house. Parents need to be vigilant on where their kids are to keep them safe," Lt. J.P. Horelica said. "We don't want anything happening to our kids in this community. The best way to keep them safe is to keep them home with you."

At this time, police do not believe the shooting was gang-related.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the HPD Major Assaults & Family Violence Division at 713-308-8800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

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