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7-Year-Old Shot And Killed In Walmart Parking Lot In Houston, Gunman Still At Large

By Manuella Libardi
Published on: 05:51 PST, Dec 30, 2018

A 7-year-old girl was shot to death on Sunday in a Walmart parking lot in Houston after a gunman fired at the car she was traveling in with her mother and three other girls, ABC News is reporting.

The girl, who has not been named, and the others had been leaving the store at about 7 a.m. when a man opened fire into their vehicle, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the report continues. The suspect remains at large.

“Mother & daughter were in a car leaving a store when an unknown male began shooting into their car for an unknown reason… He was wearing a red hoodie. ” Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted early this morning.

Jesse Razo, a major with the sheriff’s office, said during a news briefing that the suspect was driving a red pickup truck with no plates, as per the ABC News report. The suspect “pulled up next to the vehicle and began shooting into the vehicle,” Razo is quoted as saying.

The girl’s mother was reportedly shot in the arm, but is expected to fully recover from her wounds, according to information reported by ABC News. In addition to the 7-year-old and her mother, two teenagers who were passengers in the car were unharmed while a younger girl suffered “glass fragment injuries,” Gonzalez said in a tweet. While unharmed, Razo said the girls were “shaken” and “devastated,” ABC News reported.

The suspect is described as being a man in his 40s, wearing a red hoodie and having a beard, Razo said, as reported by the outlet.

“He is considered armed and dangerous,” Razo said.

The motive behind the shooting remains unclear. As of Sunday morning, local homicide detectives continued to scour the area and check surveillance video for clues. Razo said that they will do whatever it takes to bring the “killer to justice,” and urged the suspect to turn himself in, vowing that the authorities will find him.

“Because we will be looking for you, we will locate you, we will find you,” Razo said.

Gonzalez lamented on Twitter that this weekend has been a hard on for the city of Houston, stating that in addition to the shooting that claimed the life of the 7-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 17-year-old also lost their lives in car crashes between Saturday and Sunday.

“Gone to soon. May they Rest In Peace and the Lord bring comfort to the families,” the sheriff said in the tweet.

Gonzalez urged anyone if information to call 9-1-1 or @CrimeStopHOU at 713-222-TIPS (8477.)

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