A Texas father shot two teen suspects late Monday after they attempted to rob his family’s vehicle with two infants in the back seat, according to authorities.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident just after midnight in the Houston area, KRIV-TV reported.
The family had just arrived home when the two suspects “walked up to their SUV, and opened a rear door where their 1-yr-old was seated,” Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a statement.
But the father shot and struck both of the suspects.
The wife then drove the vehicle away to get away from the suspects, the sheriff said.
“The adult male feared for the safety of his family and fired shots and struck both suspects,” Gonzalez said. “The wife was driving and drove away after the shooting to get away from the suspects.”
None of the family members was injured.
However, two 16-year-old suspects were taken to the hospital. They were in stable and fair condition, the sheriff said.
Last night, just after midnight, @HCSOTexas units responded to the 6800 blk of Feather Creek Dr in reference to a shooting. Preliminary: an adult male, his wife, and two infants arrived home. Two males, walked up to their SUV, and opened a rear door where their 1-yr-old was 1/3 pic.twitter.com/rBhe4y3EFE
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) July 11, 2022
suspects. Both wounded suspects were taken to hospitals by private vehicles. Both suspects are teens, 16 yrs old. Both are said to be stable & in fair condition. Investigation is on-going. #HouNews 3/3
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) July 11, 2022
No further information was released about the family or the suspects.
This incident comes as that area, along with much of the country, struggles with high crime rates.
Houston was rated No. 31 on a list of the top 100 most dangerous cities in the U.S. by Neighborhood Scout.
“With a crime rate of 56 per one thousand residents, Houston has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes – from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 18,” the website summarized.
In fact, more than 99 percent of communities in Texas have a lower crime rate than Houston.
Give him an award, and free Chick-Fil-A for life.
— JacobX (@AtomizerBear) July 12, 2022
In 2021, the city saw a big spike in homicides, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Many cities suffered from higher crime in the midst of the pandemic and protests against police.
“We still don’t know the impact of COVID-19 on violent crime and we still don’t understand the social impact of protesting on police reform — it’s going to take time,” said Howard Henderson of Texas Southern University’s Center for Justice Research.
Doug Griffith, the president of the Houston Police Department Officer Union, told KTRK-TV last month that homicides and other violent crimes were a serious problem.
“Society as a whole, we see violence escalating all across this nation,” Griffith said. “We’ve got to find a way to put a stop to that.”
