12-year-old charged with murder in Houston shooting, police say

HOUSTON — A 12-year-old boy is accused of gunning a woman down in her bedroom, according to Texas authorities.

The boy, whose name has not been released due to his age, is charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Houston Police Department. He was referred to the Harris County Juvenile Probation authorities.

The boy is accused of killing the 51-year-old victim, identified by the Harris County medical examiner as Sharon Hawkins, around 4:40 p.m. Saturday at the Salado at City View Apartments.

“HPD patrol officers responded to a shooting call at an apartment at (1000 Greens Road),” according to a news release from the department. “Upon arrival, they found the victim lying on the bedroom floor suffering from several apparent gunshot wounds. She was pronounced deceased by Houston Fire Department paramedics.”

Detectives spoke to witnesses at the scene, including the 12-year-old boy.

“There were no signs of forced entry and a witness reported seeing a suspect, dressed in all black clothing, leaving the scene,” the release said. “Further investigation developed information that conflicted with witness statements.

“The male juvenile witness was identified as the suspect in this case and he was taken into custody without further incident.”

No motive for the shooting was revealed. It was not immediately clear Monday if the boy would be treated as a juvenile or an adult.

Cox Media Group