Khalid Mendez was 10 when he was shot and killed on October 28, 2021, in Houston’s 8300 block of Willow Place after he and an 11-year-old friend found a gun inside a car at an apartment complex. The firearm, left in the car with a round chambered, discharged while the boys were handling it. Khalid’s mother, Chelisee Simon, has disputed the characterization of the shooting as accidental and says her son identified his shooter before he died.

The gun’s owner, Katina Smith, was charged with making a firearm accessible to a minor and recently pled guilty as part of a deal. A judge will decide Smith’s sentence after the court hears impact statements; Simon and her young daughter plan to testify. Smith’s attorney declined a proposed one-year sentence in the plea discussions.

Khalid’s mother continues to push for accountability and has spoken about the family’s ongoing pain. Does anyone have information about the incident or about safe-storage practices at that complex that could help clarify what happened?