12-year-old charged in connection with shooting that killed 50-year-old woman

Neighbors: Woman cared for child suspect

HOUSTON – A 12-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with a fatal shooting at an apartment complex in the Greenspoint area.

The shooting happened around 4:40 p.m. Saturday at the Salado at Cityview apartments on Greens Road near the Hardy Toll Road, authorities said.

Police said they were called out to the scene to investigate reports on gunshots. When they arrived, authorities said they found a woman, 50, on the bedroom floor with multiple gunshot wounds.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Harris County Medical Examiner identified the victim, Monday, as Sharon D. Hawkins.

Sharon D. Hawkins was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds at an apartment in the Greenspoint area, according to law enforcement (Image courtesy of Hawkins' family) (KPRC)

Neighbors said that Hawkins cared for the boy who is now accused of killing her and that the boy lived in the apartment along with another sibling.

The exact familial relationship between suspect and victim was not clear Monday.

Hawkins worked as a security guard and was a mother and grandmother. She often cared for the younger members of her extended family according to one of her sons.

“She was just the best mother. She would do anything for us,” Andre Hawkins said.

Authorities said there were no signs of forced entry and a witness told them a person dressed in all black was seen leaving the scene.

However, after further investigation, authorities learned information that conflicted with witness statements and they identified the witness as the suspect in the shooting, police said.

“This woman has lived here with her kids for four years. Everything has been quiet. We had no reason to think this would happen,” Hawkins’ landlord, Steve Moore, said.

The boy was taken into custody and charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.


About the Authors:

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli has been a digital news editor at KPRC 2 since 2018. She is a published poet and has background in creative writing and journalism. Daniela has covered events like Hurricane Harvey and the Astros World Series win. In her spare time, Daniela is an avid reader and loves to spend time with her two miniature dachshunds.