9-year-old struck by celebratory gunfire during Channelview July 4 party
A 9-year-old boy was hit in the arm in a Channelview backyard as Fourth of July fireworks rang out, and deputies are treating the shot as possible celebratory gunfire.
A 9-year-old boy was hit in the arm by a bullet in the backyard of a home along Park Drive in Channelview as his family celebrated the Fourth of July. The Harris County Sheriff's Office considered celebratory gunfire, and the boy was taken to the hospital in fair condition. They still do not know where the gunfire came from.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez pointed to the 2020 death of Philippa Ashford, a 61-year-old Houston-area nurse who was killed outside her home during New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Firing a gun in a public place without a lawful reason can amount to disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. In cities with more than 100,000 residents, reckless discharge can rise to a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. If the shooting endangers someone or is fired at or toward a person, home, building or vehicle, it can become a felony.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office received 678 celebratory-gunfire calls in 2022, a 14% increase from 2021 and a 47% jump from 2019, according to Crime Stoppers of Houston.
Deputies asked anyone with information to call the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 713-221-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
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