Stray Bullet Hits Woman in Mouth While Sitting Outside Pizza Place: Police
A woman was struck in the mouth by a stray bullet while she was sitting in a car outside a pizza parlor in Texas.
Houston Police Department (HPD) officers were dispatched to assist a colleague at Parma Pizza on Richmond Avenue and Fountain View Drive at about 2 a.m. on Sunday.
When they arrived, officers joined deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO). They had been working an extra job and had already detained a suspect.
It was at this time that a large crowd gathered and shots were fired in the area, according to ABC 13. The network reported a woman, who had been sitting in the back seat of a car in the parking lot of the pizza place, was hit by a stray bullet.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, a database that collects information about shootings from across the country, 89 people have been injured in Houston since January 1, this year. The database added that there have been 4,969 firearm-related injuries across the U.S. so far in 2023.
While the victim, in this case, was a woman, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said men suffer 87 percent of nonfatal firearm injuries in the U.S.
HPD Lieutenant Ignacio Izaguirre said law enforcement at the scene requested more units after they saw muzzle flashes from different locations spanning from Richmond Avenue to Beverly Hills.
Police officers were then able to detain several men and took three guns and a long rifle, according to ABC 13.
The woman who was shot was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for the gunshot wound to her mouth. She is expected to survive, Izaguirre told the network.
Police investigators are still working to determine who the shooters are, and no arrests or charges had been made as of Sunday evening.
Newsweek has contacted the HPD and HCSO for comment.
According to the CDC, "more than seven out of every 10 medically treated firearm injuries are from firearm-related assaults."
The CDC added: "People who survive a firearm-related injury may experience long-term consequences. These include problems with memory, thinking, emotions, and physical disability from injury to the brain; paralysis from injury to the spinal cord; and chronic mental health problems from conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
"The effects of firearm violence extend beyond victims and their families. Shooting incidents, including those in homes, schools, houses of worship, workplaces, shopping areas, on the street, or at community events, can affect the sense of safety and security of entire communities and impact everyday decisions.
"The economic impact of firearm violence is also substantial. Firearm violence costs the United States tens of billions of dollars each year in medical and lost productivity costs."
