A teenager in Houston was shot and killed while carrying a toy that looked like an AR-15: reports
- A teenager was shot and killed when he and a friend approached a man while holding a fake AR-15 rifle, KHOU-11 reported.
- The man who shot the teen and the teen's companion were taken into custody and questioned, according to the local news station's report.
- The Harris County Sheriff's Office has not disclosed the names of those involved in the incident.
A teenage boy in Texas was shot and killed after he and a companion approached a man with a toy gun, KHOU-11 reported. The incident reportedly took place on October 16 around 2 a.m, a Harris County Sheriff's Office representative told Business Insider.
The man who shot the teen told local law enforcement the boy and his friend had attempted to rob him while holding what looked like an AR-15 rifle, John Shannon, a captain with the Harris County Sheriff's Office, said on Twitter. After shooting one of the teens, the man called 911.
"A victim reported he came to meet a woman & upon arrival 2 males w/a rifle tried to rob him. He had a gun and fired striking one of the robbers he then called 911," Shannon said. "The male died on scene."
Officers who arrived on the scene said the object that appeared to be an AR-15 was a toy, according to KHOU-11's report. The Harris County Sheriff's Office representative told Business Insider a plastic rifle was found near the site of the shooting.
The man who shot the teen and the teen's companion were taken into custody and questioned, KHOU-11 reported. The Harris County Sheriff's Office did not disclose the names of those involved in the incident.
Read more:
- 8 things science has shown to be strongly linked with more gun violence — and 2 things that are not
- New research puts the 'good guy with a gun' idea to rest: Loose concealed-carry laws are linked to more firearm homicides
- Gun control really works. Science has shown time and again that it can prevent mass shootings and save lives.
- Dick's CEO: CEOs need to step up to solve America's gun problem because 'there's just not much leadership coming out of Washington'