HOUSTON — A 17-year-old Westbury High School student was fatally shot near the school Friday morning, September 25, bringing tragedy to a community that had been preparing for its homecoming celebrations.
The student was identified by his family as LePaul Warren Jr., a Westbury High School senior and student-athlete who played both football and basketball. Warren’s uncle spoke with reporters following the shooting and remembered his nephew as a young athlete who had dreams beyond the football field. “He was a starter in football. Dreamed to be an engineer.”
The shooting was reported at approximately 8:20 a.m. near Dryad Drive and Chimney Rock Road, just outside the Westbury High School campus at 11911 Chimney Rock Road. Police said the shooting happened in an area near the school where groups of students are known to gather before classes. Investigators said someone came from a nearby wooded area and that an exchange of words occurred before a handgun was produced and shots were fired. Warren was struck by gunfire and died from his injuries.
Houston police spent much of Friday working to identify the person responsible. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage, interviewed witnesses and examined cellphone video as they worked to reconstruct what happened and determine who was involved. Twenty-five additional Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were brought in to assist HPD with the investigation and search efforts in the surrounding area.
By Friday evening, HPD announced that a 17-year-old suspect had been arrested in connection with Warren’s death. According to police, investigators had been monitoring the suspect for several hours and became confident they had identified the person responsible. The suspect was being transported to jail for booking.
Police said the suspect was located after leaving an apartment complex in the area of the 11300 block of Hillcroft Street. A handgun was recovered from the suspect when he was detained, although investigators were still working to determine whether that firearm was the weapon used to kill Warren. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting with the investigation.
HPD was also awaiting a search warrant Friday night so investigators could search the suspect’s residence. Police said the search is expected to be part of the continuing effort to collect evidence and establish exactly what happened before, during and after the shooting.
The suspect has not been publicly identified. HPD said the 17-year-old was not enrolled at a Houston ISD school. As of the latest briefing, police had not publicly released a formal criminal charge against him.
Investigators are also continuing to work to determine the motive and the relationship between Warren and the suspect. Police believe the two may have had some type of interaction before the shooting, and investigators are examining whether there may have been previous communication between them, including through social media. Authorities have not announced a confirmed motive.
Warren was remembered by family members, friends and teammates as a talented young athlete with ambitions for his future. He played wide receiver and was a starter on the Westbury varsity football team, while also playing shooting guard for the school’s varsity basketball team. Friends described him as someone who was known around campus and remembered his athletic ability and personality.
The shooting prompted Westbury High School to be placed in secure mode while police investigated the scene. School officials emphasized that the shooting occurred off campus and that there was no active threat inside the school. Students and staff remained safe inside the building while authorities worked the investigation.
The school later implemented a controlled release so parents could pick up their children. Counselors and crisis support were also made available to students and staff following the shooting.
The violence also disrupted Westbury’s homecoming celebrations. Friday night’s homecoming dance and other after-school activities were canceled, and the school’s homecoming football game scheduled for Saturday against Northbrook High School was also canceled.
Warren’s death comes as another Houston-area school community is mourning the loss of a student killed in a separate shooting earlier this week. Authorities have not indicated that the Westbury shooting is connected to that case.
As investigators continue gathering evidence, HPD is expected to examine the recovered firearm, execute the search warrant at the suspect’s residence if approved, and continue working to establish the circumstances and motive surrounding Warren’s death.
For Warren’s family and those who knew him, the investigation is unfolding alongside the loss of a 17-year-old who had his life ahead of him. His uncle’s description of Warren’s aspirations captured the future his family says he was working toward: he was a starter in football, but he also dreamed of becoming an engineer.
HTX News extends its condolences to LePaul Warren’s family, friends, teammates, classmates and everyone who knew him.
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