1-year-old shot, killed in north Houston shooting

Man tries to save baby after bullets spray neighbor's car

HOUSTON – An early morning shooting in a north Houston neighborhood left a 1-year-old dead.

According to Houston police, the shooting happened in the 8300 block of Ponnell Lane about 3 a.m. Sunday.

Police said a woman was in a car with friends and her 1-year-old when two men on foot began shooting at them. As those men ran off, Houston Police Sgt. Peg Jewell said a dark-colored SUV came speeding along and sprayed more bullets into the car.

A woman who asked not to be identified said the gunshots woke her up. The woman said she first saw nothing and was about to close her door.

"She come running across my yard after I closed the door, screaming and hollering, 'Help! Help! Somebody shot my baby!" said the woman. "I've never seen her before."

Jon Richardson said he found the woman clutching her baby on the lawn of a home early in the morning.

"The woman collapsed right here," said Richardson. "We looked and noticed she's holding a baby, talking about, 'My baby been shot, my baby been shot,' that's all she kept screaming."

Richardson said the thunder and rain drowned out the numerous gunshots that forced the woman to run for help. Richardson said he then picked up both mother and child and brought them into his house on Ponnell Lane near De Walt.

"We saw a hole in (the baby's) back shoulder right here, so we tried to put towels on it and call 911," said Richardson. "I'm thinking the bullet grazed her, but that was the exit wound."

Still, Richardson said he thought the baby was going to pull through because he said the child was moving and crying.

"The baby looked strong, she looked OK and I washed her pacifier off and gave it to her," said Richardson. "That child ain't made it a year. That's not, that's not civilized."

The baby was shot one time. The baby was taken to Texas Children's Hospital, where she died. Her name has not been released.

"That's an innocent life gone and whoever done it ought to be a man enough turn himself in," said Richardson.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.


About the Author:

Award winning investigative journalist who joined KPRC 2 in July 2000. Husband and father of the Master of Disaster and Chaos Gremlin. “I don’t drink coffee to wake up, I wake up to drink coffee.”