Texas Mass Shooting Leaves One Dead and 14 Others Injured

A mass shooting at a vigil near Houston, Texas, has left 1 person dead and 14 others injured, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident happened on Sunday in the 1400 block of North Market Loop in Baytown, where a celebration of life for another shooting victim was being held.

A mother was holding a vigil for her son who was killed at his home a few weeks ago, when an unknown suspect drove down the road shooting rounds into the crowd, said HCSO’s Sgt. Greg Campbell.

Campbell said 50 people were in attendance.

Following the shooting, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted, “@HCSOTexas units responded to 1403 N Market Loop. Preliminary info: a large crowd gathered for a celebration of life. A vehicle approached and someone from the vehicle began shooting into the crowd. At least 8 people sustained injuries; 7 are non-fatal, but one has been.”

“Update to shooting on N. Market Loop: told the number of wounded individuals is now up to 14; 1 has been pronounced deceased, 3 being taken by Lifeflight in critical condition, and the remaining ones are said to have non/fatal injuries,” he later added.

Meanwhile, Campbell said, after people were taken to hospital, “a large fight ensued and we had to contact other agencies to help with that large fight.”

Witness Sidney William told ABC13 he heared approximately 20 to 30 gunshots, which led to people “screaming and running to their cars.”

Asked if he had reason to believe if the attack was “targeted and not random,” Campbell answered, “Sounds about right.”

It remains unclear what the motive of the shooting was.

According to a US nonprofit group that tracks gun violence data in the country, shooting-related incidents hit a record-high in 2020.

The Gun Violence Archive reported that with over 43,000 gun deaths last year, the United States witnessed the highest number of shooting in at least two decades.

The group said that the number of gun-related deaths in the US will likely be higher in 2021.

A considerable number of the shooters in shooting-related incidents are children, teens, and youths under the age of 18, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Source: Agencies