Masked suspects open fire, shooting 4 siblings between 10 and 16 years old, HPD says
Family members said the shooting was the result of an argument between some neighborhood kids.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Three suspects got away after shooting four children overnight in southeast Houston, according to police.
The victims, who family members said are all siblings, are between 10 and 16 years old.
The Houston Police Department said the shooting happened at about 9 p.m. on Thursday at a home on Collier Street near Carrollton Street.
Investigators said a group of three people - possibly teenagers or young adults - came up to the door of the home and started shooting.
Family members said there was an ongoing social media beef between one of the kids who was shot and another kid in the neighborhood.
Neighbors said the Thursday night shooting was the latest in a handful. Just a couple of weeks ago, neighbor Mario Flores said his daughter's house was struck by a bullet.
"There were some gunshots from the bayou side over there, and one of the rounds came through and went through that wall," Flores said.
SEE ALSO: 17-year-old fatally shot himself after 11-year-old boy died while playing with gun, HPD says
ABC13 spoke with a family member of the siblings who were shot. She said two of them had more serious injuries than the others.
The woman said her 15-year-old nephew is still in the ICU. He reportedly has a long road to recovery ahead after being shot in the stomach and losing part of his colon.
Her 14-year-old niece is also badly hurt. The woman said a bullet went through her thigh.
The woman said her 16-year-old nephew and 10-year-old niece were both hurt, too, but are expected to be released from the hospital at some point on Friday.
"They proceeded to the door (and) were calling for people to come out. Eventually, the door was opened. We believe two of the males, two of the suspects, discharged pistols into the house, and we ended up with a total of four wounded complainants, all juveniles," Asst. Chief Megan Howard said.
Investigators said the three suspects were all wearing masks and ran off after the shooting.
Family members told ABC13 they know who at least one of the suspects is and have shared that information with police. They are hopeful they'll be caught soon.
Neighbor Molly Reagan Salazar is a community organizer and advocate who said the neighborhood is a quiet family one. Still, they've been working to bring crime and gang prevention programs to the area to help kids who feel violence is the only place they can turn.
"We are talking about putting in a request for a gang prevention and social hour that we can invite most of the families that we don't know in the neighborhood to have them come out and try to talk about this and make sure everyone is watching out for their neighbor," Salazar said.
RELATED: Prosecutors seeing an uptick of teenagers charged with violent crimes: 'The numbers aren't lying'
