A 17-year-old Texas high school senior was shot and killed just steps from campus Friday morning, triggering a massive police response and forcing the school to cancel its homecoming events.
Houston police said officers were called around 8:21 a.m. Sept. 25 to an area near Westbury High School after reports of gunfire.
The victim was later identified by family as LePaul Warren, a 17-year-old senior who played both football and basketball for the school.
The shooting happened off campus near Dryad Street and Chimney Rock Road, across from the school’s athletic fields and near an apartment complex where students are known to gather before class.
Police Chief J. Noe Diaz said investigators were told a group of young people had been in the area when another teen emerged from near a wooded section by an apartment complex.
Words were exchanged.
Then someone allegedly pulled out a handgun.
Warren was shot and collapsed at the scene.
Emergency crews performed life-saving measures, but he died from his injuries.
One of Warren’s friends, who witnessed the shooting, told local media he hid behind a car after hearing the gunfire and seeing Warren fall because he did not want to abandon him.
The killing immediately launched a major search.
Houston police reviewed surveillance footage, phone data and witness statements while drones and additional law enforcement teams searched nearby apartments and wooded areas. About 25 Texas Department of Public Safety troopers also joined the effort.
By Friday evening, police had taken another 17-year-old into custody.
Chief Diaz said the suspect is not enrolled in any Houston Independent School District school.
Police said he was arrested while walking in the area and was carrying a handgun at the time. Investigators were still working to determine whether that weapon was used in Warren’s shooting.
Authorities have not publicly identified the teenage suspect because of his age.
Police also have not announced a motive.
Investigators believe Warren and the suspect may have known each other in some way, possibly through social media, and Diaz said there had been some kind of interaction or discussion before the shooting.
Because the suspect is 17, Diaz said he could potentially face charges as an adult, depending on how prosecutors handle the case.
Warren’s death stunned the Westbury High School community.
He was described by family members as a respectful and polite young man and was a starter at wide receiver on the varsity football team as well as a shooting guard on the varsity basketball team.
Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles said the district was “heartbroken” by the loss and announced that counselors and additional support would be made available to students and staff.
The shooting also brought the school’s homecoming celebrations to an abrupt halt.
Westbury’s homecoming dance was canceled Friday night, and the homecoming football game scheduled for the following day was also called off.
The suspect remains in custody as investigators continue reviewing surveillance video, witness accounts and physical evidence.
