Fort Worth councilman's 82-year-old mother shot through door of her home
FORT WORTH, Texas - An 82-year-old woman is out of the hospital after being shot in her home in Fort Worth's Northside neighborhood Thursday night.
The shooting happened on Circle Park Boulevard happened when the 82-year-old was shot through her back door around 9 p.m.
Fort Worth city councilman Carlos Flores confirmed through a statement to FOX 4 the woman shot is his mother, Graciela Flores, who lives next door to him.
Carlos Flores says he's the one who called 911 and cared for his mother until first responders arrived.
He declined an on camera interview.
Fort Worth city councilman Carlos Flores (Courtesy: City of Fort Worth)
"Right now, I am concerned about mom," said Emma Patino, whose mother lives in the neighborhood.
Patino says she is always concerned about her mother's safety, and now she's even more on edge.
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"It makes me think of my mom because they are only 3 years apart," she said. "I feel like mom needs more protection."
"It is scary. Very scary. And when my siblings find out about this, they will be scared too," Patino continued.
Graciela Flores told police in the initial report she was home when an unknown male approached her back door.
Flores yelled, thinking it was a relative.
During the preliminary investigation Flores says she instantly heard gunfire and realized she had been shot in the stomach.
The shooter took off.
However, in Councilman Flores' statement Friday, he says a stray bullet was fired from the backyard of a nearby property, but offered no other details about it.
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Police never said anything about a stray bullet, and when asked about it, just say the investigation is ongoing.
"I did not know his name, but I have seen him before. It is just shocking knowing it was him," said Rosenda Mercado, who lives nearby.
Jonathan Howard (Source: Fort Worth Police)
Early Friday morning Fort Worth detectives identified the alleged shooter as 35-year-old Jonathan Howard.
Rosenda Mercado told FOX 4 Howard was staying at a home off Lincoln Avenue that backs up to Flores' home.
Howard's listed address on the police report matches the same address.
"He never seemed like he would do something like that you know?" Mercado said.
Around 4:30 Friday morning Howard was taken into custody and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Fort Worth police did not say why Howard was not charged with a crime like aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but do say additional charges could be coming.
"It's just weird. Like, why Carlos' mother?" Mercado asked.
Howard does have a criminal history, including evading arrest, assault and drug charges.
He remains in the Tarrant County Jail.