Multiple children have been shot in Houston during an attempted robbery on Christmas that police say was surprisingly being committed by the youngsters themselves.
During a news conference held by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Major Saul Suarez said the attempted robbery happened just after midnight Wednesday. He said officers responded to an apartment complex in the northwestern part of the city and found several boys with gunshot wounds.
The boys, ranging from 12 to 14 years old, were taken to a nearby hospital, where one was in critical condition and two were stable, police said.
Officials believe the shooting happened when the children were attempting to rob a 25-year-old man, who police say shot the boys with his own pistol.
One of the boys involved in the robbery and the man who shot the kids were arrested.
The man’s name was not released and it’s unclear whether he will face any charges. That could be decided by prosecutors or a grand jury.
‘Thought it was a prank’
The man’s girlfriend told ABC 13 that the couple were returning home from a Christmas party. When at least four armed boys surrounded them, she said her boyfriend initially thought the robbery was a prank because of how young they were.
Other witnesses described the scene to the station, with Bruce Bailey saying that one of the boys had multiple gunshot wounds.
“One of the police officers was trying to keep him coherent and everything, and he said, ‘What did you get for Christmas?'” Bailey told the station. Another witness, Monique Robledo, told the station: “Being that age, you’re supposed to be with your family.”
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Houston man shoots 3 boys as they tried to rob him on Christmas: Police
