A 17-year-old was allegedly playing with a loaded gun when he shot and killed an 18-year-old woman on Saturday in south Harris County, Texas, investigators say.
17-year-old Zakorion Batiste has been charged with manslaughter in connection to the shooting death of 18-year-old Nariah Champion and is currently booked into the Harris County Jail, records show.
Batiste went before a judge on Sunday, where he was given a $50,000 bond. Batiste will be placed on house arrest if the bond is made, except for going to and from high school.
Nariah Champion’s parents, Jonathan Champion and Keisha Shields, told local news they want to see a harsher punishment and want other adults in the apartment at the shooting to be held accountable.
“She was just 18. A baby,” Jonathan Champion said. “We will never understand what she went through in her last moments. But from my understanding, she was suffering. Because she was choking on her own blood.”
At about 10 a.m., Harris County Pct. 7 deputies responded to a shooting at an apartment complex in the 3500 block of S. Sam Houston Parkway East.
Upon arrival, people in the apartment with Nariah Champion were taking her to a local hospital after being shot in the abdomen.
Authorities say the group crashed Nariah Champion’s car, and a good Samaritan transported her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
HCSO Homicide and Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene to conduct the investigation.
Investigators say Batiste was playing with a loaded handgun when it discharged, striking the 18-year-old.
Shields said her daughter was looking forward to prom and high school graduation. She wanted to be a lawyer and planned to attend Blinn College and transfer to Howard University.
“This kid will run from trouble,” Shields said. “I’m telling you, she’s going to run because this is what she wanted to be. She wanted to be a lawyer. She didn’t want to get into (any) trouble. That’s just her. So, I just want the truth to come out (of) it. I want the truth.”
Jonathon Champion said the family is heartbroken, and they want justice for Nariah Champion.
“Out of everyone that was in the room, she was the one (who) got shot. It could have been any other one of those kids. It’s heartbreaking. I hate that this happened. But I just want these kids to know that guns (are) nobody’s friend,” Jonathon Champion said. “Guns don’t hurt people. People hurt people and by them playing with a loaded gun. That’s insane. When you pull a pistol, and it’s loaded, you mean to kill somebody. Not play with somebody.
Investigators say Zakorion Batiste was playing with a loaded handgun when it discharged striking Nariah Champion.
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