Flea market shooter David Negrete surrenders after death of 10-year-old boy (PHOTOS)

• Flea market shooter David Negrete surrenders to police.
• A 10-year-old boy was killed.
• Francisco ‘Chente’ Duarte helped his parents in the family business.

David Negrete, who opened fire at a flea market in Pearland, Texas, turned himself in to authorities at the Brazoria County jail.

The 19-year-old is a suspect in the death of 10-year-old Francisco ‘Chente’ Duarte, who helped his parents in the family business.

On the morning of Tuesday, November 14, 2023, David Negrete turned himself in after being named a suspect in the brutal crime.

At 10:00 in the morning, David Negrete was officially arrested. However, he is not in jail, as police are still questioning him.

Flea market shooter David Negrete surrenders to police

The Texas State Penal Code details that the crime of homicide is punishable by a sentence of 20 to 99 years in prison.

After the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) processed David Negrete, they informed the other agencies that were looking for him.

Detectives from the Homicide Division of the Pearland Police Department (PPD) are already questioning the Hispanic boy about the shooting.

Then the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) will want to know where and how he got the weapon.

Francisco ‘Chente’ Duarte was killed

On November 12, 2023 at 5:34, a rainy Sunday, the PPD received an emergency call reporting a shooting at Cole’s Flea Market.

Pearland is a quiet city located in the southern part of the Houston metropolitan area. It’s a place that many families consider a good place to raise their children.

PPD officers, with support from TxDPS, among other agencies, responded to Cole’s Flea Market, 1000 N. Main Street, after several injuries were reported.

At the scene, suspected shooter David Negrete left a trail of pain and blood. Francisco ‘Chente’ Duarte sustained the most serious injuries.

Four other people were seriously injured

PPD Public Information Officer, Chad Rogers, told media at the scene that a total of five people had been seriously injured.

Hours later, Officer Rogers revealed that 10-year-old Francisco ‘Chente’ Duarte had died in the emergency room at Memorial Hermann Hospital from gunshots.

During the initial investigation police learned that a conflict broke out inside the flea market between two groups of people who shot at each other.

So far, the other four victims remain hospitalized. On Monday, November 13, the PPD named David Negrete as a suspect.

Julianna Espino and Cruz Meza were also arrested

For just over 24 hours, shooter David Negrete became one of the most wanted men in Texas after the tragic death of Francisco ‘Chente’ Duarte.

On Monday, November 13, 2023, the PPD arrested Julianna Espino and Cruz Meza, both 18 years old, as accomplices in the shooting.

Meza and Espino are incarcerated in the Brazoria County jail, accused of lying to a police officer and tampering with evidence.

Until police are finished interrogating David Negrete, no more details about the shooting will be released.

Gun deaths in the U.S. continue to rise

The brutal shooting at the flea market in Pearland, Texas, is one of many incidents involving firearms.

According to the National Gun Violence Archive, it has been reported that so far in 2023 alone, 37,326 people were shot dead.

As of Sunday, November 12, 2023, of those people who were shot to death in the United States, 16,404 were murdered and 20,922 killed themselves.

So far this year the U.S. has had 602 mass shootings where at least four people died.