2 charged after Halloween shooting in Rowlett hospitalizes teenage girl
ROWLETT – What was meant to be a festive Halloween night in Rowlett quickly turned into a nightmare when gunfire broke out, leaving a 16-year-old girl injured and kids running in fear.
It happened in a neighborhood off Waterview Parkway.
"We heard screaming—lots of screaming. Not just Halloween screams, but real fear," said Kelly Folds, a witness who lives nearby.
Steve Lynch said hundreds of kids visit the neighborhood for trick-or-treating every year. At first, the gathering of a large crowd in a nearby yard didn't seem out of the ordinary. But then the situation escalated.
"Right when I walked over there, someone pulled out a gun and shot her," Lynch said, referring to the teenage girl. "I put my hand over her wound to stop the bleeding until paramedics arrived."
According to police, the shooting followed a physical altercation among a group in the yard. Lynch recalled hearing at least one gunshot and seeing the 16-year-old girl fall to the ground.
"I've never done anything like that before, but I just went into action to help her," he said.
Kids scattered, many running to nearby yards in terror. Kelly Folds described the scene as "chaotic," with children frantically trying to reunite with their parents while streets were blocked off by police.
"We tried to help them call their parents to pick them up, but the roads were blocked off," said her husband, Jonathon Folds.
Friday morning, Rowlett police were back on the scene, combing through the area where the incident occurred. Police confirmed to CBS News Texas that the girl is recovering in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Meanwhile, neighbors are still processing what happened.
"It's shocking, especially with so many kids around," Jonathon said.
Rowlett police detained two people—a juvenile and a 17-year-old male—both charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon.
As of Friday afternoon, Garland ISD was working closely with Rowlett police to gather more information on whether those involved were students.
