A birthday party in Houston was interrupted by gunfire early Saturday morning. A pregnant woman was killed and several others were wounded in a shooting incident. The Houston Police Department reported that shots broke out at Margaret Jenkins Park shortly after 1 a.m. during a heated altercation. As tensions escalated, nearly 40 shots were fired in total. The aftermath of the shooting also left four more people injured with varying levels of severity.
Three individuals, including two suspected shooters, were taken to the hospital for treatment. In addition to this, another victim sustained a graze wound but did not seek medical attention. The victim, identified as 21-year-old Autumn Vallian, was five months pregnant and surrounded by friends at the time of the shooting, according to her grieving family.
Autumn Vallian’s mother, Ebony Vallian, recounted the tragic events, explaining that as the argument intensified, one man brandished a gun, prompting the other man’s girlfriend to retrieve her own firearm. The two parties engaged in a verbal exchange before shots were fired. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Ebony Vallian turned around only to discover that her first-born daughter had been shot. Authorities are currently working to identify any additional suspects involved in the incident.
Law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the shooting, aiming to uncover any other potential suspects that contributed to the lethal gunfire. The Houston Police Department is urging anyone that has information to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation.
As the investigation into the shooting continues, the community mourns the loss of Autumn Vallian and grapples with the aftermath of this senseless act of violence.