Houston police were searching for the person responsible after the 17-year-old was shot Friday morning at an off-campus location.
HOUSTON, TX— A 17-year-old Westbury High School senior was shot and killed Friday morning near the southwest Houston campus, prompting a large police response and a search for the person responsible, authorities said.
The shooting was reported shortly before 8:30 a.m. Sept. 25 at an off-campus location on Dryad Street near the school. Houston police said the student was a boy and a senior at Westbury High School. His name had not been publicly released as of Friday morning. No arrest had been announced.
Police said the shooting happened outside school grounds in an area where students sometimes gather before classes. Investigators said a person reportedly emerged from a nearby wooded area, exchanged words with the student and then opened fire. Authorities had not disclosed what was said or what may have led to the confrontation, and a motive remained unknown.
Houston ISD police and a school staff member responded to the scene and attempted lifesaving measures while paramedics were on the way, according to authorities. The student did not survive. Police said the shooting did not occur inside Westbury High School and there was no active threat on the campus.
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz said investigators were pursuing leads and reviewing evidence from the area. Detectives recovered surveillance video from a nearby apartment complex and were canvassing the neighborhood for additional recordings. Police also were interviewing two witnesses, while homicide detectives worked at the scene. Authorities said license plate readers in the community could provide additional information for the investigation.
Diaz said additional state troopers were assisting Houston police as officers searched the surrounding area. As of late Friday morning, authorities had not released a description of the person being sought. Police had also not said whether investigators believed the student and the shooter knew each other.
Westbury High School was placed in secure mode as officers investigated the shooting nearby. Houston ISD officials said the measure restricted access to and from the campus but was different from a lockdown because the shooting happened off school property. Officials said students and staff inside the school were safe and instruction continued. The district also arranged a controlled process for parents who wanted to pick up their children.
Counseling services were being made available to students and staff after the shooting, authorities said. Diaz said he had spoken with members of the student’s family, including his mother, grandmother and aunt, as police provided support to them.
The shooting occurred days after another Houston-area student was fatally shot near a school. A 15-year-old Spring ISD student was killed near Westfield High School earlier in the week. Authorities arrested a 14-year-old in that separate case and charged the teen with murder. Police have not announced any connection between the two shootings.
Houston homicide detectives continued searching for the person responsible in the Westbury shooting Friday and gathering surveillance footage and witness information. The student’s identity, a possible motive and a description of the person being sought had not been released.
Author note: Last updated September 25, 2026.