HOUSTON — A 17-year-old is on life support from a gunshot wound to the head after someone opened fire on his father’s pickup truck late Tuesday, Houston police said.
Editor's note: Houston police issued this correction Wednesday afternoon: "We have learned the victim is not deceased & sincerely apologize to his family. The teen is currently on life-support. Please join us in praying for this young man and his family."
The teen was listed in critical condition overnight.
The gunfire happened shortly after the family left that night's Houston Astros game at Minute Maid Park, police said.
The father of the victim told police he was driving on Chartres when he encountered the suspect, who was believed to be in a white Buick sedan with a sunroof.
"The two drivers exchanged hand gestures and the suspect followed the victim's vehicle onto the East Freeway and then onto McCarty Street," stated the police department in a press release. "There, the suspect fired several shots at the father's truck, striking one of the male passengers at least one time. The father stated he drove to the area of Highway 59 and McGowen Street and called 911."
The man's 17-year-old son was taken to the hospital. The other son in the vehicle was not hurt and neither was the father.
KHOU 11’s Brittany Ford reported that the back window of the pickup was shattered.
"It's really unfortunate, and it's really sad, and we’re really hoping to figure out how this happened and who did it,” said Investigator Brown with HPD Major Assaults.
“It doesn’t make any sense for anybody on the streets, getting engaged in any sort of situation that you have to revert to pulling a gun and started shooting," said Houston myor Sylvester Turner.
He said someone has information that can help authorities catch the shooter.
“It is my hope that before the day is out, at the very minimum, we will have the name of the owner or the driver of this vehicle and hopefully at the end of the day, we’ll have that person in custody,” Mayor Turner said.
The community is outraged by this latest incident involving possible road rage.
“The reality is if it happened this time it can happen again. But there’s far too much road rage that’s occurring and we’re only going to stop it when people start turning these people in," Mayor Turner said.
Police said they need help locating the shooter. Investigators released these images of the suspect vehicle:
Police did not immediately release the victim's name.
Anyone with information about the crime can call Houston Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS or HPD Homicide at (713) 308-3600.