HOUSTON — We have an update to a story we first told you about in March. Houston police have arrested a 16-year-old who's accused of shooting and robbing a pastor after the rodeo.
The teen is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. His name wasn't released because of his age.
Editor's note: The above video aired in March before the suspected gunman was arrested
Pastor Thomas Wilson, 61, shared his terrifying ordeal with KHOU 11 News a few days after he was shot twice after leaving RodeoHouston with a friend.
"I thank God that I'm still here today," Wilson told us in March. "To Him be glory, I've not had any real pain since the shooting."
The violent robbery took place on Interchange Drive near NRG where the pastor had parked.
Wilson had scored free tickets to the Nickelback concert and invited his church secretary, who had never been to the rodeo.
"And so, I said, 'Come on let's go, we are going to have some fun and it's going to be an early night,'" Wilson said.
They were walking back to his car when a guy dressed in all black approached them and asked to use his phone.
"I told him no, and he kept going on and he even said these words, 'God is not going to bless you tonight,'" Wilson said.
When they got to the car, they saw it had been burglarized. Before he could call the police, the pastor said the same guy came back with a gun and demanded Wilson hand over his bag.
"At first I was going to give it all, just give it up, but then he pulls the gun and it's pointing right here in my face, and I saw this guy has no intentions of letting me walk away from here,” Wilson told us.
He knew his secretary was also in danger.
"As agitated as he had become, he was going to not only shoot me but also my secretary and I couldn't let that happen," Wilson said. "I reached and grabbed at the gun and tried to get it away from my face and it went off, hitting me in my shoulder."
While scuffling on the ground, he was shot again in the other shoulder.
The suspect ran off with his bag containing credit cards, his I.D. and his passport, but left some of his own belongings behind.
"A shoe came off, he dropped a phone and there was a vape there,” Wilson said.
The pastor said he's already forgiven the man but he still wants justice.
"He still has to take responsibility for what he has done, but in the midst of that, we still have to have a forgiving heart,” Wilson told us.
Last week, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo sent KHOU 11 News the following statement:
We first want to say that we are saddened to hear about the incident last night and hope for the quick recovery of the victim involved. It's important to clarify that this incident did not take place on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo property. We highly encourage our guests to park in our official Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo parking lots for convenience and safety. You can view all of our official Rodeo parking lots at RODEOHOUSTON.com. All of our parking lots are equipped with 24-hour security measures, which include police officers and cameras. We are constantly communicating with our local authorities and want to assure all guests at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that safety is always our highest priority.
If you have any information about the alleged gunman, call HPD or Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $5,000.