Three people have been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting at a flea market in Texas, including one of the suspected shooters, police said Tuesday.
Three children and two adults were shot at Cole’s Flea Market in the Houston suburb of Pearland on Sunday, and a 10-year-old boy died later at a hospital.
The others who were shot were also taken to hospital, but one of them was later released. According to authorities, the shooting occurred after an argument between two people who did not know each other.
Pearland police said 19-year-old David Negrete, who they had been searching for after he was charged Monday with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, turned himself in to authorities Tuesday morning.
On Monday evening, Pearland police announced that two people – Cruz Meza and Julianna Espino, both 18 years old – were each charged with tampering with evidence and making a false statement to an officer.
Meza was one of five people shot Sunday, police said.
David Negrete. The 19-year-old (pictured) turned himself in on Tuesday to charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the mass shooting at Cole’s Flea Market in Texas on Sunday
Julianna Espino, 18, (pictured) was charged with tampering with evidence and making a false statement to an officer
Cruz Meza, 18, (pictured) was charged with tampering with evidence and making a false statement to an officer
Both Meza and Espino were being held at the Brazoria County Detention Center. Jail records did not list an attorney for Meza or Espino.
Police said three of the people shot – the 10-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl and a 37-year-old man – were innocent bystanders caught in the incident.
Before Meza was arrested, police said they were investigating whether he was involved in the shooting. Police were also investigating whether a 16-year-old boy who was shot was also involved in the shooting.
On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that authorities were offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Pearland is approximately 21 miles south of Houston.
The horror occurred on Sunday afternoon around 5:34 p.m. during a mass shooting at Cole’s Flea Market in the Houston suburb of Pearland.
Pearland Police Department officers were dispatched to the area when they heard shots were fired.
The five victims injured in the mass attack were then located and taken to area hospitals, where the ten-year-old boy was pronounced dead.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that two Hispanic male subjects were involved in the altercation,” the Pearland Police press release said.
They also revealed that at least two handguns were found at the scene, but the number of shots fired is still unknown.
“We believe there is at least one other person, if not two, individuals who actually had handguns and fired those firearms during the crime scene.”
“There are potentially three suspects,” Rogers said.
Two witnesses told police they saw two men in an argument before the chaotic scene began.
The 14-year-old girl and 37-year-old man were both taken to hospital in stable condition, but the man has since been released.
The two teenage victims underwent surgery and investigators were trying to determine whether they were involved in the incident.
Rogers said the shooting was not aimed at the flea market and was caused by an argument between two men.
“That doesn’t happen in Pearland. It is extremely tragic when someone falls victim to gun violence, especially in our community. That doesn’t happen here in Pearland,” he said.
Cole’s Antique Village & Flea Market in Pearland, Texas, is the site of Sunday’s mass shooting
Houston police cars blocked access to Main Street near Sam Houston Parkway during Sunday’s mass shooting at the Texas flea market
Chad Rogers, public information officer for the Pearland Police Department, gives a statement to the media following a shooting outside Cole’s Antique Village and Flea Market on Sunday, November 12, 2023, in Pearland, Texas, near Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Officials with the Pearland Police Department in Texas had issued an arrest warrant for a 19-year-old suspect who killed a child and injured four others in the massacre.
According to police, Negrete was wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was considered armed and dangerous.
He was identified through surveillance footage and interviews with witnesses and victims.
The 19-year-old was also added to the list of the 10 most wanted fugitives in Texas.
Governor Abbot said, “Texas mourns the loss of a precious child following the devastating tragedy in Pearland yesterday, and our hearts go out to the four other victims in the hospital recovering from their injuries.”
Pearland police have said this is an ongoing investigation by their Criminal Investigation Division.