Sparks police: Boy playing video games, shot in head

A 13-year-old boy was playing video games at his home when he was shot in the head during a drive-by shooting in Sparks, police said.

The shooting occurred early Sunday morning at an apartment on 4005 Moorpark Court, Sparks police said in a news release. The call was initially taken for a medical related seizure.

REMSA paramedics arrived and found that the boy suffered a single gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to a local hospital with a life threatening injury and was listed in critical condition on Monday, Detective Sgt. Scott Tracy said at a press conference.

The unknown suspect or suspects fired a single round through the wall and the bullets penetrated the home, striking the child, Tracy said.

“We know there is someone who knows something,” he said on Monday.

“The boy and his family were not involved in gangs at all,” he said.

At least four other children were inside the home during the shooting, along with the boy’s parents.

Several citizens had called police to report that they had heard shots fired in the area from a car just before the drive-by shooting, Tracy said. Police don’t have any information on the suspect or a description, but are still investigating.

“Throughout this region, we never have drive-by shooters,” Tracy said. “I can’t remember a child being shot in the head in my career.”

Tracy has kept in contact with the boy’s family, who are “doing as good as they can,” he said.

“The best thing for people to understand, like I said somebody knows something, and they need to come forward,” Tracy said. “That’s how we can catch these people.”

The shooter could face several charges including discharging a firearm from a motorized vehicle, shooting into an occupied home and battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm, Tracy said.

“We’re lucky we don’t have more people (shot),” he said.

Secret Witness is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the suspects involved in the drive-by shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sparks Police Department at 775-353-2225 or Secret Witness at 775-322-4900.