HOUSTON — A Harris County jury is deliberating the fate of the accused road rage shooter that left two toddlers severely burned back in 2019.
Bayron Rivera is accused of four counts of assault with a deadly weapon when a bullet from his AR-15 allegedly ignited fireworks in the back of a family’s pick-up truck.
Closing arguments were Thursday. The jury then gathered to deliberate but later decided to break for the night and resume Friday at 8:30 a.m.
The jury is deciding if Rivera was acting in self-defense after prosecutors say a verbal argument escalated to a horrific shooting and fire.
Gas station video shows what happened when prosecutors said a teenage Rivera opened fire with an AR-15 into the family’s pickup truck, igniting the Fourth of July fireworks that were in the back seat.
Then 2-year-old Bentley and 3-year-old Messiah were strapped in their car seats when it happened.
Both suffered serious burns and are expected to face numerous surgeries for many years to come.
Rivera’s defense attorney argued that it is not certain the spark came from one of Rivera’s bullets.
The prosecutor called that nonsense, then showed the bullet casings recovered at the scene.
The boys' family was in court on Thursday. Jasmine Wolford, the mother of the two boys, wiped away tears during closing arguments.
The last time KHOU 11 caught up with the Smiths was back in July, on the third anniversary of the shooting. Back then, the family was anxious to see the case go to trial, hopeful their boys might finally have some justice.