11-year-old boy shot dead inside his home, sheriff searching for 'coward' gunman

Houston authorities say they're searching for a "coward" gunman after an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed inside his own home in the middle of the night.

The unknown gunman fired multiple shots at a family's home in Channelview, Texas, at about 4:20 a.m. Sunday, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

An 11-year-old boy inside the house was struck several times and pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff's office.

Several children were asleep in the same room as the victim at the time, he said.

No one else was hurt, authorities said.

"This is a tragic, a senseless, a sad situation. This is a child," the sheriff said. "And these are cowards that shoot into a home. They could've killed and injured a lot more people."

Gonzalez vowed, "We're gonna do all we can to bring justice to this 11-year-old."

Anyone with information is urged to call the sheriff's office.