(The Center Square) – Texas Department of Public Safety and Brazoria County Crime Stoppers are offering a combined $15,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and capture of perpetrators engaged in a shootout outside of a flea market in Pearland Sunday night.
As of Monday morning, no suspects are in custody. Investigators are asking for information from any witness by calling 281-997-5828.
The event was not a mass shooting incident. The shooters did not fire into a crowd of people but it resulted from an altercation among individuals, Pearland Police Department spokesman Chad Rogers said Sunday night.
Five people were injured, including three people and two minors. All five were transported to local area hospitals, including a 10-year-old boy who later died.
The shooting occurred at 5:34 p.m. Sunday at 1014 North Main St., outside of Cole’s Antique Village and Flea Market in Pearland, Texas.
By Monday morning, Pearland Police Department said the scene was still being processed; 2-3 people were involved in the shooting, with at least one on the run, The Houston Chronicle reported.
Of the remaining four who were injured and still alive, one is a 14-year-old girl. Two teenagers were taken into surgery and it’s unclear if they were involved in the shooting, authorities said.
Investigators said there was an argument between two people, which escalated to a shootout and children were caught in the crossfire, ABC 7 News reported.
This type of gun violence “is not anything that happens in Pearland,” Rogers said. “It is extremely tragic anytime someone is a victim of gun violence, especially in our community. This does not happen here in Pearland.”
“Texas mourns the loss of a precious child following the devastating tragedy in Pearland yesterday, and our hearts are with the four other victims in the hospital as they recover from their injuries,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “The State of Texas is deploying our full support to local law enforcement to ensure the perpetrators of this crime are caught and brought to justice.”
Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and capture of the perpetrators are “urged to submit anonymous tips through the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline, the Texas 10 Most Wanted website, or the DPS Mobile App,” Abbott said.
Brazoria County Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward and DPS is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and capture of the suspects.
To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities by calling the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), submitting an online tip through the Texas 10 Most Wanted website or Facebook page, or through the DPS Mobile App.
All tips are anonymous regardless of how they are submitted. All tipsters are given a tip number instead of a name. Callers’ anonymity is guaranteed by law.
Each tipster could receive $15,000 per fugitive.
“These fugitives should be considered Armed and Dangerous. Never try to apprehend a fugitive yourself,” DPS and Crime Stoppers warn.
