Texas woman charged in connection with shooting death of 5-year-old boy as he made TikTok videos

Police are hunting for a Texas woman in connection with the fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy while he was making Tik Tok videos on a balcony with his father over a year ago.

Shapree Monique Stoneham, 30, faces charges of felony murder after she allegedly may have had a role in the reckless firing of a gun in the direction of the Houston apartment where the boy, who was not the alleged target, was hit without regard to if the property was occupied, KTRK-TV reported, citing court documents. 

Around 9 p.m. March 31, 2020, the child, Jordan Allen Jr., and his family were sitting on their second-floor balcony. According to police, the family heard five to six gunshots ring out from the parking lot and a stray bullet struck the child in the back of the head.

“Everybody ran in the house and the kids’ room in the house,” the victim’s father, Jordan Allen Sr., told the television station. “So, I ran to the porch, and then I see my son on the ground holding his head asking for my help.”

The boy, who family nicknamed “Baby J,” was rushed to Texas Children’s Hospital in critical condition and died days later when he was removed from life support.

According to court documents, an onlooker said two women had gotten into a fight at the apartment complex earlier in the evening. The onlooker believed one of the pair involved in the argument was associated with the car from which the shots were fired before it sped away from the scene. 

Court papers show a tipster shared with police a recording on which Stoneham allegedly can be heard saying she was “the best getaway driver” and would be “gone on the first train to Austin” if authorities came after her for the shooting, the Houston Chronicle reported.  

Along with Stoneham, Khalisah Smith, 19, and a third woman were previously identified as persons of interest in the case.

According to KTRK-TV, court documents show Smith was allegedly involved in the fight while the third female person of interest denied she was at the shooting and reportedly appears to have been cooperative with the investigation.

On April 6, Stoneham allegedly called authorities to deny her involvement in the shooting and claim it was her cousin, Smith, who killed the little boy. The next day Stoneham declined to return from Austin to Houston and make a statement to police about the case and again refused each of the at least five times she was asked again over the following days. 

On April 14, Stoneham allegedly stopped responding to authorities’ phone calls altogether and her whereabouts are currently unknown.

Smith has not been charged in connection with the case.

After the shooting death, Allen Sr. described his son as “the happiest child in the world.”

“Jordan … he would bring joy to everybody,” he said.