HUMBLE — An 18-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after a 19-year-old was shot in the head during an apparent accidental firearm discharge at a home in Humble, Texas, early Wednesday morning. The victim is in critical but stable condition.
Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies responded around 1:20 a.m. to a home on Spring Brook Pass following reports of a shooting. Two teenage girls were waiting in the driveway and initially told investigators their brother had been accidentally shot by one of his friends. Investigators later determined the victim was not related to the family living at the home.
The victim and the suspect were both visiting the residence where five teenagers were inside an upstairs room at the time of the shooting. Detective Daniel Kerrigan said some of the teenagers were playing video games while others were "just kind of hanging around." The only adult at the home was the mother of the teenage girls who lived there.
The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The homeowner attempted to provide first aid before driving the victim to a local emergency clinic. The suspect accompanied them to the clinic before being taken into custody. The victim was later airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.
Deputies found evidence of a crime upstairs, including two spent cartridge casings and blood spatter. Investigators have not recovered the gun believed to have been used but did recover a second firearm, which was reported stolen.
"At this point, it seems as though it was a tragically accidental discharge," Kerrigan said. Authorities have not released the identities of those involved. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez initially identified the victim as a 16-year-old boy, but investigators now believe he is 19. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine where the gun came from and how it ended up in the home.