[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Yet another “good guy with a gun” has accidentally taken a life.
According to reports, a Texas man who was robbed at gunpoint at an ATM in southeast Houston whipped out his gun and fired at his attacker… but instead shot a little girl in a truck driving nearby. 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez later died at the hospital after she was taken off life support.
Her father, Armando Alvarez, told the AP that she was sitting in the backseat of his truck and was wearing headphones when the shooting went down on Monday evening. He recalled:
“When we were getting shot at the first time, and I told them ‘get down,’ she was the only one who didn’t get down. She didn’t hear me.”
Absolutely crushing.
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He added:
“As soon as I speed up, what are you doing? You are already coming next to him. You’re going toward the guy shooting. So I guess when I speed up, he thought I was with that guy.”
The robbery victim, 41-year-old Tony Earls (pictured above), was charged in the shooting on Tuesday with aggravated assault and serious bodily injury. He was being held in the Harris County Jail on a $30,000 bond.
Harris County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dane Schiller said prosecutors will look at possibly upgrading charges against Earls, telling press:
“Our hearts go out to the Alvarez family. We are going to review all the evidence, apply the law and determine what charges are appropriate.”
Before Arlene was taken off life support, her mother took to social media to ask loved ones for prayers to keep her baby girl alive. She wrote:
“My baby got shot, we were driving and guy robbing at chase shot us in the truck and he shot my ARLENE! Doctors told us there is no hope! Please don’t inbox me, I NEED PRAYERS! Please, my faith is so strong and please tonight in honor my baby girl light up a candle! A real candle and prayers! … My perfect baby girl. this year we had so many plans and we are going to make them happen mi amor, mi mejor amiga mamita!”
The devastated mother later shared a picture of Arlene lying in the ICU, her head wrapped in bandages. Armando shared somber words of his own in reply to this awful image, writing:
“Crazy how life can change in a blink of an eye… no matter how ready we think we are. We never are… I ended up working late today and could have taken the day off to spend the day with you. My baby is gone
”
Police are still searching for the robbery suspect, and have not determined if that man returned fire or was shot. For his part, Earls called police to report the robbery following the incident, and told authorities he didn’t even know his gunfire had hit the truck.
It’s almost like more guns isn’t the answer…
Sending love and light to the victim’s family.
[Image via Houston Police Dept.]
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