Texas Meteorologist Who Was Gunned Down Outside Station Returns To The Air

Patrick Crawford was shot multiple times last month in front of the Texas station where he is employed. He returned to work on Monday weeks after being released from the hospital.

Texas Meteorologist Patrick Crawford returned to work Monday about a month after being shot.

His coworkers wore T-shirts with the Superman logo on the front and the words "Crawford Strong" on the back. Crawford surprised them with a Superman shirt of his own.

Meanwhile, the hunt for the gunman remains ongoing, with a $20,000-reward for information in the case still on the table.

Crawford was shot on Dec. 17 outside of the TV news station.

He was treated for three gunshot wounds, one to his abdomen and two from shots that grazed him, including one to the head, the Associated Press reported.

Crawford posted updates about his recovery on social media, saying he is getting "better and stronger each day."

The suspect in the shooting approached Crawford as he sat in his car outside of KCEN-TV's studios in Waco.

He then fired a gun several times, striking the meteorologist, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman D.L. Wilson said.

Crawford managed to drive away and flag down a construction worker, who called for help. He was rushed to Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas, where he recovered for 12 days, before being released on Dec. 29.

After the shooting, the gunman fled into the woods, and police are still searching for him.

"We will not rest until we do capture that individual and bring him to justice," Trooper Harpin Myers, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, said Monday.

Crawford spoke to a press conference on Dec. 22 and said that he didn't know the gunman and "there was no interaction whatsoever" before he was attacked.

"The man that shot me didn't say any words to me," he said. "He just started shooting at me as I was leaving the parking lot... I did not know him."

"My main focus is to continue to get better, to get healthy and to get home for me and my family," Crawford said, while wearing a Superman shirt, which friends and fans have used as the symbol for his heroic efforts. "Things are improving. I'm slowly getting better. It's been a long process, a lot of pain."

The Falls County Crime Stoppers is offering a $20,000 reward for help in finding the person who shot the 35-year-old meteorologist outside of KCEN's news station on Dec. 17.

The reward was originally for $5,000, but an anonymous donation doubled the figure over the weekend. On Monday, the amount rose again after KCEN donated an additional $10,000.

There is still no motive for the attack and no one has reported seeing the gunman since the shooting occurred on Dec. 17.

The Texas Department of Public Safety released this sketch of the suspect:

The composite sketch was made by a forensic artist with the help of Patrick Crawford, who is recovering in the hospital after undergoing surgery. Police have been searching for the suspect since the shooting.

"So far he is on target if not moving ahead of schedule," Dr. Matthew Davis said of Crawford's condition at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

KCEN-TV News released the following statement after the shooting:

"Early this morning KCEN-HD News received the devastating news that one of our own, Texas Today Meteorologist Patrick Crawford, had been shot in front of our building. He is currently at Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Temple after undergoing surgery. He is in stable condition and resting. The shooter, as of this note, has not been caught. We do not know who the shooter was or if he is connected in any way to KCEN or its employees.

Patrick's wife, of just over a year, Heather Crawford, who is also a KCEN employee, is with him now at the hospital. Patrick has been with KCEN for two years after leaving the NBC affiliate in New Orleans. He is a loved member of the KCEN family and our thoughts and prayers go out to him, Heather and their family."

Co-workers also shared messages for Crawford and called him "our superman":

Prayers for Patrick Crawford #oursuperman

Crawford's wife of just over a year, Heather, who is also a meteorologist and producer at the TV station, was by his side while he was at the hospital.

Patrick Crawford's wife, Heather, posted on her Facebook page on Dec. 17 this note about her husband, who she said was in stable condition:

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