HOUSTON – A teenager who was shot during a road rage incident after his family left a Houston Astros game has died from his injuries.
The boy’s father confirmed to KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, that 17-year-old David Xavier Castro died Thursday at Memorial Hermann Hospital. He had been on life support since the incident Tuesday evening.
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“David was not just a statistic. He was a very good boy and he had so much to offer. Because of gun violence, he was taken away too soon without reason,” Paul Castro said. “He was my son and my buddy.”
Houston police are still searching for the driver accused of shooting at the family, ultimately striking the boy in the head.
The family was leaving Minute Maid Park when Paul Castro, who was driving, exchanged hand gestures with the driver of a white, four-door Buick sedan with a sunroof, according to investigators.
Paul Castro told KPRC that the driver of the Buick was upset he didn’t let his vehicle in line.
“He gets out of the car and he starts yelling at me, and he’s like, stepping out of the car, and he’s yelling at me and he’s saying, ‘Let my car in.’ I said, ‘Hey man, I’ve let three cars in already,” the father recalled to KPRC, adding that he eventually let the Buick in the line.
“I didn’t flash my lights. I didn’t flip him off. I let him in and he was in front of me. When I explained that to HPD, I explained that we exchanged hand gestures, his hand gesture was different from mine, mine was just... I’ve let people in,” he said.
Police allege the driver of the Buick followed the family for several miles.
Paul Castro said he tried to lose the Buick, but he stayed right behind their vehicle.
“I sped up and he was still right behind me. I moved and he was right behind me. I moved and I slowed down and he was right behind me. I said, ‘This is not good,’” he said.
The driver then fired several shots at their truck at around 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner asked the public for help in identifying and finding the shooter.
“It does make you angry because it doesn’t make any sense for anybody on the street getting engaged in any sort of situation where you have to revert to pulling a gun and start shooting. That’s totally unacceptable and never defensible,” Turner said.
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