9-year-old bystander killed by bullet meant for fleeing robber, Texas cops say
UPDATE: A 9-year-old girl who was hit by a stray bullet following an ATM robbery in Houston has died, the Houston Police Department announced.
Tony Earls, 41, has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault, according to police.
Original story continues below:
A 9-year-old girl was riding in a truck with her mom and dad when a bullet came through the back window and hit her, police in Texas said.
The bullet wasn’t intended for her, according to the Houston Police Department, but she’s hospitalized in critical condition all the same.
Around 9:40 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, a 41-year-old man was using a drive-thru ATM at a bank near 2900 Woodridge Drive in Houston when a suspect walked up to his vehicle and robbed him at gunpoint, Executive Chief Matt Slinkard said during a news briefing. The man’s wife was also in the vehicle with him, according to police.
The victim then pulled out a gun and opened fire on the robber as he ran away, Slinkard said. But one of those bullets struck a truck with a mother, father and children inside.
Police later learned the man intentionally aimed for the truck, believing the robber had gotten into it, an HPD statement said.
“This vehicle apparently was not involved in this incident at all and was simply driving down Winkler Street,” Slinkard said at the briefing.
The victim, apparently not aware that he had shot a child, called 911 to report he was robbed, according to Slinkard. Investigators soon pieced the two incidents together.
“Anytime that there’s guns involved, the danger to innocent bystanders is extremely high,” Slinkard said.
Investigators arrested the 41-year-old on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Police are searching for the robbery suspect, who has not been identified.
Anyone with information about the incident can call HPD investigators at 713-308-3600.
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 3:26 PM with the headline "9-year-old bystander killed by bullet meant for fleeing robber, Texas cops say."