Three boys, as young as 12, were shot by a man they attempted to rob at gunpoint in Texas on Christmas night, according to police.
The group of armed children appeared so young that the 25-year-old robbery victim and his girlfriend initially thought it was a prank when the boys approached them outside their Houston apartment complex, ABC 13 reported.
However, when the boys tried to rob him, the 25-year-old man drew his own gun and opened fire, injuring three of the boys.
One of the boys, just 12 years old, was hospitalized in critical condition, the report stated.
Two others, aged 12 and 13, returned to the scene to seek help for non-fatal injuries, officials said. A 14-year-old boy, who was uninjured, was also taken into custody.
The 25-year-old man who shot the boys stayed at the scene and is cooperating with authorities. He is not facing charges, according to ABC 13.
Neighbor Bruce Bailey said he called the police when he heard the critically injured boy screaming in pain, saying, “I’m just a little kid.”
“I screamed out to him, ‘Are you OK?’ And he just put his hand in the air and screamed for help,” Bailey told KHOU.
“One of the police officers was trying to keep him conscious and everything, and he said, ‘What did you get for Christmas?’” Bailey recalled of the injured 12-year-old.
Detectives are investigating whether the boys were carrying BB guns or real firearms during the robbery attempt.
“Of all things, being Christmas, and this is a child, first thing that comes to my mind is, number one, where is the parent? Number two, if you got here with a gun, what are you doing out here with a gun?” Bailey questioned.