Police: Shooting involving lost family 'could have been worse'

Father praised for avoiding confrontation with gunman

SAN ANTONIO – A shooting that left a 6-year-old girl wounded on the city's East Side could have been a lot worse, police officials said Wednesday.

The girl's father told police that he was following GPS instructions in search of a tire shop on Tuesday night, when he turned into the entrance to an apartment complex at 4611 East Houston St.

“The lights from the victim’s vehicle shined in the front of the suspect’s vehicle,” Officer Douglas Greene, a spokesman with the San Antonio Police Department, said.

The man became angry and pulled a gun, and the family sped away through the complex trying to get away as the suspect opened fire, Greene said.

“One of the rounds struck the rear of the vehicle, went through the vehicle and struck the back of the 6-year-old girl,” Greene said. She is in the hospital recovering from her injuries.

Although the shooting was tragic, Greene said the shooting could have resulted in more injuries.

"If the driver would have stayed, we could have seen possibly four fatalities,” he said.

Following the shooting, police saw a man in a vehicle matching the suspect’s car leaving the complex and gave pursuit. He was arrested by SAPD SWAT team officers a few miles away.

“That particular individual had a felony warrant out for his arrest," Greene said. “That’s why he was running from police.”

The man was arrested on the felony warrant and is in custody but has not been charged with the child’s shooting.

“At this point we don’t have enough information to say that he is definitively the shooter,” Greene said. 


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Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role.