Authorities: Targeted Shooting Injures Deaf Teen

From: KPRC-TV, TX - 05 Dec 2002

Family Believes Shooting Not Random

HOUSTON -- A Fort Bend County teenager remained hospitalized Thursday after a gunman opened fire at his home, wounding him in what authorities said was not a random shooting.

The shooting happened at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at the victim's home, located in the Briar Run neighborhood in north Fort Bend County.

Fort Bend County sheriff's investigators told News2Houston that when deputies arrived at the home they found Syed Khawar, 17, had been shot in the back.

Khawar was airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition.

Detectives said that evidence from the scene indicates that the shot was fired from outside the residence, with the bullet penetrating a window and curtains prior to striking Khawar in the lower back, authorities said.

Investigators said that the shooting does not appear to be a random act, and that they have reason to believe the victim and/or his family were intentional targets.

Meanwhile, Khawar's older brother said that he couldn't believe that someone had shot his hearing-impaired brother while they were at home.

"He was coming down (the stairs) holding his back (and) was trying to get out a scream, but it wouldn't come out," the unidentified brother said. "He ended up stumbling in the middle of the hallway where my dad caught him.

"He was just screaming and laying down on the ground, just shaking," he said.

The Pakistani family owns two business, a gas station and a deli, and are looking at the possibility that someone was upset with them and targeted them.

"There's no way that it could have been a drive-by, because they obviously targeted our house alone," Khawar's brother said.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department at (281) 341-4666 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at (281) 342-TIPS.

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