Young boy shot in chest in drive-by as he walked down the street

A number of children have been victims of shootings in Houston in recent months

Police line

A 12-year-old boy was shot in a drive-by attack in Houston, America, as he walked down the street talking on his phone.

A car pulled up alongside the child late on Sunday evening and someone inside fired a gun, hitting the boy in the chest.

Police are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related.

The boy was taken to a hospital in stable condition and is expected to survive.

The car fled from the scene. Police haven't released a description of the shooter or the vehicle.

Neighbours told The Houston Chronicle the area was not prone to violence and was generally quite quiet.

The news site reported that the gunfire comes amid a rash of child shootings.

A two-year-old and a three-year-old were shot in May in separate incidents in the city.

Houston police Chief Art Acevedo in March pledged a crackdown on gang violence after 11 children were fatally shot in a 16-month period.

Associated Press contributed to this report.