A father is on the run and a barber is in hospital after a dispute over a child’s haircut ended with gunfire at a Texas barbershop.

Local police are looking for a man who shot an employee of a barbershop in the Houston suburb of Katy during an argument, the Harris County Sheriff’s office said on Saturday (local time).

Witnesses said the argument was over the haircut given to the man’s 13-year-old son.

Harris County Detective Wallace Wyatt told TV station KPRC that the boy went home after his haircut. Later, he and his father returned to the barbershop – which is when the argument started.

“They fixed the haircut for free and then that’s when the altercation occurred,” Detective Wyatt said.

“That is one of the worst ones I’ve heard … especially with your son being here, witnessing what you’re doing.”

The teenager was reportedly in the car when his father shot the barber three times, in his stomach, leg and arm.

UPDATE: The suspect is a black male. Vehicle may be a gray 4-door sedan, possibly Honda Accord. Witnesses say he shot an employee while arguing over a haircut given to the suspect’s son. #hounews

— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) December 22, 2019

“I think it’s just crazy for anyone to shoot anybody over a haircut, period,” Detective Wyatt said.

“The father knows he needs to come forward and tell us what happened. Just to be an example, to be a good father and say, ‘I messed up. I have something to prove to my son, and this is how you fix it’.”

The accused shooter left the barbershop in a grey, four-door sedan, according to the sheriff’s office.

The barber was in a stable condition at a local hospital, KPRC-TV reported on Saturday.

-with AAP