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MESA, Ariz. - A young boy was shot in Mesa, and police are still trying to figure out the culprit responsible.
The department got a 911 call for reports of a shooting near Alma School Road and Rio Salado Parkway around 2:50 p.m. That's where they found a 13-year-old boy who had been shot in his shoulder – police say he was talking to them when they got to the scene.
His injuries were minor, and he has since been released from the hospital, police say.
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Mesa boy shot while walking home from school
Mesa police are searching for the person responsible for shooting a 13-year-old boy who was walking home from school. Investigators say he was with friends near Alma School and Rio Salado when he felt a pain in his shoulder.
"Through investigation, it was learned that the victim and two of his friends were walking home from school and hanging out in the area … when the victim felt pain in his shoulder. When he checked his shoulder, he had what appeared to be a gunshot wound. The victim and his friends then ran to the victim’s house and called the police.," Mesa Police said.
Police say the shooting might have been completely random, but detectives are still looking for potential suspects.
If you know anything about what happened, you can call Mesa PD's non-emergency number at 480-644-2211.
Injured teen shares his story: ‘Scared and pain’
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Mesa kid speaks out after shooting
A Mesa teen who was shot while walking home from school is talking about what happened, as police continue to search for the shooting suspect. The boy was shot near Alma School and Rio Salado. FOX 10's Stephanie Bennett has more.
Daniel Maez is obviously very shaken up by the whole ordeal. We caught up with him and his grandfather on Thursday.
He was released from the hospital and is recovering at home, but he said he's scared to walk that route again and will be looking over his shoulder.
"Shock that’s for sure, scared and pain," Meaz said, describing the emotions he felt when he was shot.
The walk home from Carson Junior High School in Mesa is one that 13-year-old Daniel Maez has done hundreds of times. But yesterday, he and his two friends decided to take a shortcut through the church.
Out of nowhere, they heard a bang, and then came the pain.
"We heard a gunshot from somewhere, then I felt a sharp pain in my back," Maez said. "It felt painful like a rubber band but instead 20 times more painful hitting me on the back."
Maez reached for his back and soon realized he had been shot in broad daylight.
"It went in, curved, and came back out," Maez described.
His friend quickly jumped into action, calling 911 as the trio started running towards Maez's home.
"We ran to the house. I told my dad. He was sitting on that couch right there, saying 'I got shot'. My tata was sitting right here. Then after that, he was in total shock," the boy recounted. "He saw the blood and didn't know what to do."
Maez said it all happened so quickly. He didn't know who it was, and he couldn't see the shooter.
The neighborhood is close to three schools. The district tells FOX 10 that parents received a letter Thursday informing everyone of the incident, and they are hoping for a speedy recovery.
Detectives with the Mesa Police Department believe this could have been a completely random act. For now, they are investigating and trying to find the person who pulled the trigger.
"We canvassed the area we look for video we do all those kinds of things and right now we just don’t have a whole lot as far as who may have possibly done this," Encinas said.
Map of where the shooting happened: