Houston police search for gunman after Westbury High senior shot dead

A 17-year-old senior at Westbury High School was fatally shot near the southwest Houston campus on Friday morning. The incident occurred around 8:21 a.m. on Dryad Street, an area where students frequently gather before classes begin.

According to Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz, the shooting followed an exchange of words. Diaz stated that an individual emerged from a wooded area near a nearby apartment complex, leading to a verbal altercation that escalated when a handgun was produced.

Westbury High School was placed in “secure mode,” preventing entry and exit while the investigation proceeded, though authorities confirmed there was no active threat inside the building. The Houston Independent School District arranged for a controlled release of students to their parents and provided counseling services to staff and students.

HPD investigators are currently reviewing surveillance footage from a nearby apartment complex and utilizing community license plate readers to identify the suspect. While no arrests have been made, Chief Diaz indicated that investigators have leads regarding the perpetrator.