Houston police detained a 17-year-old suspect hours after Warren was shot near his southwest Houston high school.
HOUSTON, TX — Houston police arrested a 17-year-old suspect Friday evening in connection with the fatal shooting of Westbury High School senior LePaul Warren, a student-athlete who was killed near the southwest Houston campus earlier that morning.
The arrest marked a major development in an investigation that began after the 17-year-old Warren was shot near Dryad Street and Chimney Rock Road before classes Friday. Police said the shooting occurred outside school grounds in an area where students sometimes gathered before the school day. Authorities had not publicly identified the arrested teenager as of Saturday morning, and investigators had not announced a motive.
Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz said the suspect was taken into custody Friday evening while walking in the Hillcroft Avenue area. Police said the teenager had a handgun when he was detained, but investigators had not determined whether it was the weapon used in Warren’s killing. Authorities were working to examine the firearm as part of the continuing investigation.
Investigators used surveillance video, witness information and phone data as they worked to identify and locate the suspect, according to police accounts reported by Houston news organizations. Officers also used drones while conducting surveillance near an apartment where authorities believed the teenager lived. Police were executing a search warrant at the location after the arrest.
Diaz said the suspect was not enrolled in a Houston Independent School District school. Investigators were still trying to determine the nature of any relationship between Warren and the teenager. Police said the two may have had a connection through social media and that some type of discussion occurred before the shooting. Authorities had not established or publicly released a motive.
The shooting was reported at about 8:21 a.m. Friday near Westbury High School. Police said Warren was with other young people near the campus when the confrontation occurred. School personnel and campus police responded and attempted lifesaving measures before emergency crews arrived, but Warren died from his injuries.
Warren was a senior at Westbury and played on the school’s varsity football and basketball teams. Family members, classmates and friends remembered him as a well-known student and athlete. His death came as the school community was preparing for homecoming activities, turning what had been planned as a celebratory weekend into a period of mourning.
Houston ISD placed Westbury High School in secure mode during the investigation, limiting access to the campus while police searched the surrounding area. Officials said the shooting happened off campus and that students and employees inside the school remained safe. The district later canceled Friday’s after-school activities, including the homecoming dance, and the school’s scheduled Saturday homecoming football game was also canceled. Crisis counselors were made available to students and staff.
The investigation drew a large law enforcement response. Houston police homicide detectives searched the surrounding neighborhood for evidence and surveillance recordings, while Texas Department of Public Safety troopers assisted with the search. Diaz said witness cooperation and video evidence played important roles in investigators’ efforts to identify the suspect.
The teenager remained in custody as investigators continued gathering evidence Saturday. Police had not publicly released his name, announced a confirmed motive or established whether the handgun recovered during his arrest was used in the shooting. Authorities also had not publicly detailed any formal criminal charge by Saturday morning. The investigation into Warren’s death remained active.
Author note: Last updated September 26, 2026.