Premont (KIII news) — A 14-year-old boy was left fighting for his life after he was shot overnight in the small South Texas town of Premont.
Investigators are still working to piece together what happened.
An emergency helicopter landing was made around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the middle of Highway 281 after the young man was shot in the leg. Investigators said the teen said he was jumped by one of three men who were outside his family's home on County Road 418-E.
The young man said it happened around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. He supposedly heard them outside trying to steal gasoline.
Investigators and neighbors said they heard that the Martinez family had trouble with illegal immigrants who in the recent past stole one of their vehicles. However, investigators are not sure what happened there. Still, neighbors are worried.
"So many things have happened lately, it's hard to wrap your mind around them," Premont resident Malynda Perez said. "You're not sure if kids are causing this or if it's immigrants who may be doing it."
The teen was airlifted to a Valley hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries. Investigators said by the time they arrived on scene, five hours after the supposed attack, any potential suspects were long gone.
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