A 9-year-old boy was shot in the leg by a stray bullet near his home shortly after midnight on New Year’s Eve, according to a San Antonio Police Department incident report.
SAPD is investigating who fired the bullet, but have no information about potential suspects at this time.
The boy was in the front yard of his East Side home near Delmar Street and I-10 when he was shot.
His mother, Gina Martinez, told KSAT that she noticed something burning on his pant leg, and applied pressure on the bleeding after realizing her son had been shot.
He was taken to a hospital and released after having the bullet removed and receiving stitches. San Antonio Police are investigating who fired the bullet that struck the boy.
It’s not the first time this has happened in San Antonio. During last year’s New Year’s Eve celebration, another 9-year-old boy was struck by a stray bullet while in his room.
These incidents were likely the result of celebratory gunfire, a practice that city and state leaders are looking to crack down on.
In response to increased resident calls about stray bullets during celebrations, the city’s Governance Committee, which reviews new policy initiatives, passed a motion asking that the city roll out a public service campaign called “Call the Shots,” to encourage residents to report gunfire and stray bullets.
The campaign officially started in June.
State Rep. Liz Campos, whose district includes San Antonio, introduced House Bill 2101 last legislative session to get a gunfire reporting program in Texas. The program would show law enforcement location information of where shots were heard to help law enforcement investigate.
The bill didn’t pass, but Campos said on Facebook she would refile the bill this year, citing the recent shooting.
“This child’s injury shows we cannot wait,” she wrote. “Our community deserves safer streets, faster response, and real solutions — not silence.”
