Police are searching for a 14-year-old boy they say shot and killed three teens and injured a fourth inside a Garland convenience store on Sunday night.
Garland police said they obtained a "directive to apprehend" Abel Elias Acosta, 14. While they typically don't release information about minors, police said they did in this instance because of the "potential risk to the public."
On Tuesday, police arrested Acosta's father, 33-year-old Richard Acosta Jr., who they say drove the pickup truck in which the gunman fled.
The elder Acosta was charged with capital murder and was being held on a $1 million bond.
The shooting happened just after 7:30 p.m. Sunday at a Texaco in the 700 block of W. Walnut Street in Garland, police said.
Police said the teens killed were 14-year-old Xavier Gonzalez, 16-year-old Ivan Noyala and 17-year-old Rafael Garcia. The boy in the hospital is a 15-year-old, who works at the convenience store.
Police said they believed the shooting was in retaliation for another incident and was a targeted attack on at least one of the people inside the store.
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Officers first arrested a different 14-year-old, who was released after the arrest of Acosta Jr. Police said the first 14-year-old, whose name they did not disclose, was still a person of interest in the investigation.
Police said, according to Texas Family Code, a directive to apprehend is issued by a juvenile court "if the court finds there is probable cause to take the child into custody."
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Garland Police Department at 972-485-4840. Callers may remain anonymous by calling Garland Crime Stoppers at 972-272-8477 (TIPS). A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to the identity and arrest of the suspect.
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