Teen recovering after being shot in triple shooting in southeast Austin
AUSTIN, Texas - A teenager is recovering after being hit by gunfire in a triple shooting at an apartment complex in Southeast Austin last month.
"I felt that I wasn’t going to make it," Neil Raymond Melendrez Jr. said.
On the night of March 3, a group of teenagers said they were trying to meet up with some girls at the Douglas Landing Apartments, a place Austin police have responded to at least 10 times this year.
"It is a high crime rate area with drugs, violence, things like that," said Melendrez Jr.’s mother, Heather Gayton.
At around 8 p.m. on March 3, police found three people with gunshot wounds.
"All were juveniles, and all were transported to local hospitals," Austin police officer Ariel Crumes said.
17-year-old Melendrez Jr. was in critical condition.
"I got shot four times. One through the right arm, then one on the side and two in the back," Melendrez Jr. said.
"They say that since he took the most severe of the bullets, and he took the most bullets, he was the intended target," Gayton said.
Melendrez Jr. said he wants to know who was after him.
"Do you have any idea why someone would want you dead? Why would they shoot you?" FOX 7 Crime Watch reporter Meredith Aldis asked.
"No ma’am," Melendrez Jr. said.
Austin police have not confirmed any arrests in this case.
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"Are they still going to come after him?" Gayton asked.
For Melendrez Jr.’s safety, he’s recovering out of town.
"The detective said, look, we can’t actually say if you put him in a rehab here, he won’t be in any danger, or the workers or the other patients won’t be in any danger, so it’s best if you put him in somewhere that’s outside of city limits, so we won’t have that risk," Gayton said.
Melendrez Jr. said he’s relearning how to walk as he’s suffered spinal injuries and had two surgeries.
"Are you still hurting?" Aldis asked.
"Yes ma’am, my back," Melendrez Jr. responded.
"I’m very pressed on pressuring the detectives and things like that to get the appropriate information in order for them to lock up whoever did this to my son because he’s got a long road to recovery," Gayton said.
It’s unclear what will happen to Melendrez Jr. when he’s back on his feet. He has a criminal history, and currently has an active warrant out of Austin for theft of a firearm.
Melendrez Jr.’s mother has started a GoFundMe to help with the bills associated with his recovery.