Westbury High School Student Shot Dead Near Houston ISD Campus; No Arrest Yet

A 17-year-old senior at Westbury High School was shot dead near the Houston ISD campus in southwest Houston on Friday morning, the Houston Police Department said.

The shooting occurred around 8:21 a.m. at the end of Dryad Street, a spot where students typically gather before classes begin each day, Police Chief Noe Diaz said at a morning press conference.

According to Diaz, someone emerged from a wooded area near a nearby apartment complex, and words appear to have been exchanged before a handgun was produced. He described the killing as a "cowardly act."

No other students or staff members were injured, police said. The identity of the deceased has not been released.

No suspect has been taken into custody, though an investigation is under way. "We're working diligently to make sure we get someone in custody as soon as possible," Diaz said, adding that investigators "have an idea of who we're looking for."

"I'm saddened by the loss," Diaz said. "It shouldn't have happened." He asked the community to keep the family in their prayers, saying such events should not occur in the community.

The victim's family is "devastated," police said. "A grandmother shouldn't be on the side of the street here, grieving for her child, for her grandchild. The mom is beside herself," they were quoted as saying. The family has not publicly reacted to the incident.

The Houston Independent School District's press office said the high school operated in "secure" mode during the HPD investigation. Classes continued and students were able to attend their sessions.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is joining Houston Police in the investigation.

The case is the second shooting linked to a Houston-area school this week. On Wednesday, a 15-year-old died in a shooting outside a Spring ISD high school, after which a 14-year-old was taken into custody.