HOUSTON – A 15-year-old has turned himself in to the Harris County Juvenile Detention after accidentally shooting his 5-year-old sister in the stomach Monday, police said.
Police said the teen was charged with reckless aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Monday, and he is currently in custody. Officers said the case will be tried in the juvenile courts.
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According to Houston firefighters, they initially received reports of an electrical shock at around 12:45 a.m. in the 4600 block of W. 34th Street. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found a 5-year-old girl with a gunshot wound and said they immediately requested police.
The child was rushed to a trauma center in critical condition, police said. According to authorities, the child is now in stable condition.
Monday afternoon, the girl’s grandfather, Osmin Ayala, told KPRC 2 that his granddaughter was alert and would survive the stomach wound.
“My granddaughter says it was an accident," Ayala said. “I told him. I told him never to play with guns.”
Authorities said the family was asleep when the shooting happened. The mother told police she awoke after hearing the gunshot.
Police said the mother entered the living room to find her daughter was shot, and her son in a panic. Police said the firearm was on the ground and the son picked it up and ran out of the apartment.
Officers said they have still not been able to find the weapon. The Houston Police Department said they will be interviewing the teen to learn more details surrounding the shooting and figure out the location of the gun.