2-year-old boy killed during robbery attempt at Spring-area apartment

SPRING, Texas (FOX 26) — A 2-year-old boy has been shot to death and two men were wounded in what Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies describe as an apparent home invasion robbery at an apartment complex in the Spring area.

On Saturday, July 13, Ivory West Jr. was laid to rest. 

"I can't understand. Why shoot a two year old?" said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

Family identified the boy as Ivory West Jr. The suspects in the shooting have not been found.

We're told little Ivory's mom called him TJ. She was upstairs at the time with a 2-month-old baby. Investigators say she heard what she thought was fireworks, went downstairs, and a man then held a gun to her head.

"Money was demanded. She replied that they had no money," says Sheriff Gonzalez.

Deputies and Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables arrived to find three people with gunshot wounds at the Trailing Vine Apartments on Trailing Vine Road near Stepinwolf Lane in north Harris County at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

According to deputies, the boy, his father, and his father's friend were sitting in the townhouse's open garage when two men walked up and began shooting.

The boy was shot and did not survive his injuries. His father was taken by Life Flight medical helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital - Texas Medical Center in critical condition. Authorities say the father may have been shot as many as nine to 10 times. Another man who was shot in the leg was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

"A sick person would do something like that," says family friend Eddie Patt. "Need to turn themselves in."

Police say one of the suspects wore a black Nike jacket with gold lettering, a black cap, and black pants. The second suspect was wearing a red cap and a gray shirt.

Investigators are asking anyone who lives in the area who has surveillance cameras to check their video from around 11:30 p.m. to midnight.

"I can just imagine what the mother is going through, so my heart aches for he little boy and family," said neighbor Tamika Martinez.

Anyone with information that can help investigators identify the suspects can call the sheriff's office at 713-221-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

"This is unacceptable. I mean this is our community and when you are shooting kids, I mean this is senseless and unacceptable. And I know our community joins us in saying that this has to stop and we've got to get these people off the street and hold them accountable," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. "And they really are crossing the line when they are out there committing these crimes. And again we are seeing way too much gun violence especially focused on our children. There was no reason that a 2-year-old had to be dead this morning."