Police said the victim and a younger sibling were burying their guinea pig, Cookie, in their backyard when someone from a neighbor’s home shot him.
HOUSTON — An 18-year-old boy remains in the ICU after being shot in his backyard by a neighbor early Thursday morning, according to the Houston Police Department.
This happened around 12:30 a.m. at a home on Belgard Street north of Bellfort Avenue.
Police said the victim and a younger sibling were burying their pet when someone walked out of their neighbor’s home and shot him once.
The victim’s mom told KHOU 11 that he came into her bedroom and was bleeding.
“He said, ‘Mom, I love you, Dad, I love you, I’m not going to make it,'” Andrea said. She asked us not to show her face or use her last name.
“Why did he shoot him? I don’t understand, what’s the motive?” she asked.
Andrea said her son had just gotten home from work when it happened. His pet guinea pig, “Cookie,” died earlier Wednesday, but he didn’t have time to bury him, so he wanted to do it when he got home.
“He buried the guinea pig on my property, never stepped foot, never laid a hand on the resident’s property,” Andrea told us.
Her younger son said it was the neighbor’s relative who shot his brother.
HPD said they interviewed everyone in the neighbor’s home, but no one had been arrested or charged yet.
“He needs to be in custody, he needs to be questioned,” Andrea said.
Now, she’s scared to go home.
If you have any information about what happened, you’re asked to contact Crime Stoppers or HPD.
Watch the update HPD gave at the scene: