LePaul B. Warren Jr. was a beloved 17-year-old male with a bright future ahead of him. A senior at Westbury High School in Houston, Texas, he was a talented and dedicated two-sport athlete, playing as a wide receiver and defensive back for the varsity football team and a standout shooting guard for the basketball team. Friends and family remembered him as a happy, respectful, and polite young man who was the life of the party and good at every sport he played.
His mother, Jasmin Prater, recalled him as a "happy, cheerful, good energy child" who loved to make people laugh. His uncle, Darwin Prater, said, "He's a good kid, and you can't say nothing bad about him... He's going to be loved everywhere, and he's going to be missed by everybody." LePaul had dreams of becoming an engineer after graduation.
The morning of Friday, September 25, 2026, began like any other school day, but ended in tragedy. Around 8:20 a.m., just before the first bell, LePaul was with other students in a common hangout spot on Dryad Street, near Chimney Rock Road, just off the Westbury High School campus. According to Houston Police, an individual emerged from a nearby wooded area. After a brief exchange of words, the individual opened fire, shooting LePaul. A campus police officer and a school staff member, who was also a firefighter instructor, rushed to the scene and attempted to perform CPR and other lifesaving measures, but his injuries were too severe. LePaul B. Warren Jr. died at the scene.
The Houston Police Department (HPD) launched an immediate and intensive investigation, involving over 100 officers from multiple agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety. Detectives utilized surveillance video from a nearby apartment complex, cell phone footage, witness interviews, and drone technology to identify a suspect. That same evening, less than 24 hours after the shooting, police arrested 17-year-old Travoris Jarrell Hines less than a mile from the scene. Hines, a former Westbury High School student who was not currently enrolled in any Houston ISD school, was found walking down the street with a handgun in his possession.
Travoris Jarrell Hines was charged as an adult with murder and unlawful carrying of a weapon. According to court documents, a witness saw Hines point and fire the gun, and Hines later admitted to his role in the shooting. Prosecutors stated in court that Hines had returned to the campus and asked another student where people were hanging out before heading to Dryad Drive. While a definitive motive was not released, police believed the two teenagers may have had a prior interaction, possibly through social media. Hines was denied bond and ordered to be held in custody. As of late September 2026, his case was proceeding through the court system.
The Westbury community was left heartbroken by the sudden loss. The school’s homecoming dance and football game, scheduled for that weekend, were canceled. In the days that followed, a growing memorial of balloons, candles, flowers, a football, and a basketball appeared near the site of the shooting. Hundreds of students, family, and community members gathered for vigils and a "Southwest Walk Against Gun Violence" to honor LePaul's memory and call for an end to youth violence. His mother spoke out, urging young people to "Put the guns down," and for more community mentorship. "He was a light that lit up everybody's lives around him," she said at the walk. "He was very loved." A celebration of LePaul's life was held on October 10, 2026, at the Brentwood Baptist Church.
