17-year-old dies after being shot in the head while driving home from Astros game
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The 17-year-old who was shot in the head while heading home with his family from an Astros game has died, his mother confirmed to Eyewitness News on Thursday.
David Castro's mother told ABC13 her son passed away as he was on life support following the shooting Tuesday night.
Authorities and the family have yet to officially identify the victim.
Earlier Thursday, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the reward to capture David's suspected killer went up by $5,000 to $10,000.
Police said the shooting, which is being investigated as a road rage incident, happened at about 11 p.m. on July 6.
The father and his two sons were leaving the Astros game when they encountered a man in a white sedan on Chartres, police said.
Something happened between the father and the driver of the car, according to police, and the two exchanged hand gestures.
The suspect followed the family onto I-10 for almost five miles to the 600 block of McCarty before shooting several times into their back window, according to police.
That's when the 17-year-old was struck in the head. The father and his other son were not injured.
The father drove to McGowen and US-59 and called 911 for help. The teen was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital where he was admitted with critical injuries.
The teen's father posted a beautiful tribute to his son on Facebook, asking everyone give the family privacy, saying they are not ready to share their grief.
He even posted photos of the three of them at the game just hours before the shooting.
Meanwhile, a photo of what investigators believe to be the suspect's vehicle has been released. They have described it only as a white, 4-door Buick sedan with a sunroof, driven by a Black male.
"It is my hope before the day is out at the very minimum that we will have the name of the owner or driver of this vehicle and we will have that person at the end of the day in custody," Turner said on Wednesday.
This shooting is part of a growing problem in the city of Houston. In December 2020, the Harris County Sheriff's Office joined with the District Attorney's Office, the Houston Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety to implement a new task force that proactively goes after violent, aggressive drivers.
It also made penalties tougher for violations.
"We're joined here today as partners to make sure, collectively, we call upon our community to stop aggressive driving and respect each other on the roadways," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at the time.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact HPD Major Assaults of Crime Stoppers at (713)-222-TIPS.
