HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — As a memorial grows outside his bedroom window, so does the sorrow among 12-year-old Carlos Fernandez’s large family.
"He was a fun-loving little boy with a big heart,” said great aunt Josephine Gonzales.
Carlos was proud of money he recently made while helping his uncle’s landscaping business.
A photo of him holding money was one of several new ones shared with KHOU 11 two days after sheriff office's investigators say Carlos was fatally shot while sleeping early Monday morning.
That's when someone allegedly fired through an open window, or opened it themselves before shooting.
Carlos’s two half-siblings who were also in the room were not hurt.
"He was just such an angel man, and no little kid deserves this,” said uncle Daniel Gonzales.
Relatives claim someone very close to the family is responsible.
However, the Harris County Sheriff's Office is not saying why it believes this was a targeted attack or revealing details about any possible relationship between the shooter and Carlos’s family.
"He loved to take care of his sisters and his mom," said relative Grace Gonzales. "And now we don’t have him anymore.”
Investigators believe the suspect may have been travelling in a pickup truck.
KHOU 11 News obtained blurry surveillance video from a business showing a truck leaving the apartment complex around the time of the shooting.
“I just hope they catch him and he gets life in prison," said Josephine Gonzales. "He doesn’t deserve to be on this Earth.”
A press conference between the family and community activists set for Wednesday was cancelled. We’re told the reason was to not jeopardize the investigation.
Call the Harris County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers if you know anything about this case.