Deunte Lamar Cooks, a 12-year-old African American boy from Houston, Texas, tragically lost his life on January 1, 2015. Deunte was born on July 11, 2002, to Deundra Cooks and Debbie D. Norwood. He was a seventh-grader who enjoyed playing the piano and was active in his church community. On New Year's Day, Deunte was at his mother's home in the 2500 block of Bammelwood Drive in northwest Harris County when he was fatally shot.
The incident occurred when Kahlid Yusuf Worrell, also known
as "Chirp," allegedly shot Deunte. Worrell was arrested on January 6, 2015, along with his girlfriend, after a manhunt by the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force. According to the family, Worrell knocked on the door and asked for Deunte's brother, Dashawn Norwood, who was also shot multiple times but survived. Rogerious Grant, who has Down Syndrome, was grazed by a bullet but survived as well. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, but it is believed that the incident was related to a dispute over money.
Deunte's father, Deundra Cooks, expressed his grief and frustration, stating that his son was in the right place at the wrong time. He emphasized that no amount of punishment for the suspect would bring his son back. The Harris County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit continues to investigate the case, and Worrell was charged with murder and held without bond.
The loss of Deunte has deeply affected his family and community, who remember him fondly for his kind heart and aspirations to become a preacher and a doctor. The family continues to cling to their good memories of Deunte and the impact he had on their lives.
