17-year-old student shot dead near Westbury High School in Houston

A 17-year-old senior was fatally shot near Westbury High School in southwest Houston on Friday morning. No suspect was in custody as of Friday.

Student killed in shooting outside Westbury High School, Houston

A 17-year-old Westbury High School senior was shot and killed near the Houston ISD campus on Friday morning, houstonpublicmedia.org reports. The shooting took place at approximately 8:21 a.m. at the end of Dryad Street in southwest Houston.

HPD Chief Noe Diaz said the incident occurred in a spot where students routinely gather before school. "Someone came out of a wooded area nearby at a nearby [apartment] complex and from that we believe some words were exchanged and someone produced a handgun and unfortunately someone lost their life as a result of what I call a cowardly act," Diaz said at a press conference Friday morning.

The victim, confirmed to be a 17-year-old senior, had not yet been formally identified by authorities. No suspect was in custody as of Friday morning, though Diaz stated that investigators "have an idea of who we're looking for."

Houston ISD's press office said the school was placed in "Secure" mode while police investigated the incident in the surrounding area. The school was not placed in full lockdown, and classes had resumed by Friday morning. The Texas Department of Public Safety is assisting HPD with the investigation.

The killing marks the second shooting near a Houston-area school within the same week. On Wednesday, a 14-year-old was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old outside a Spring ISD high school.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)