Houston police were searching Friday for the person who fatally shot the 17-year-old student at an off-campus location.
HOUSTON, Texas — 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 shooter, authorities said.
The shooting was reported at about 8:20 a.m. near Dryad Drive and Chimney Rock Road, close to the school. Houston police said a group of people had gathered at an off-campus location when someone emerged from a wooded area. Investigators believe words were exchanged before a handgun was produced and shots were fired. The student suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz said investigators were working to determine what led to the encounter and identify the person responsible. No suspect was in custody as of Friday morning, and authorities had not released a description of the person being sought. Police were interviewing witnesses and looking for surveillance video that could help establish what happened before and after the shooting.
The student’s name had not been publicly released. Police identified him as a 17-year-old senior at Westbury High School. Houston ISD police and a school staff member went to the scene after the shooting and attempted lifesaving measures while emergency medical personnel responded, according to local reports citing authorities. The student did not survive.
The shooting happened off campus, but the nearby investigation immediately affected the school day. Houston ISD placed Westbury High School in secure mode as officers searched the surrounding area. District officials said the campus was not placed on lockdown because the shooting occurred away from school property. Students remained inside, and instruction continued while law enforcement worked outside the campus.
Police concentrated their investigation around the area near Dryad and Chimney Rock, including nearby apartment buildings and wooded property. Officers spoke with witnesses and sought recordings from surveillance cameras in the area. State troopers also assisted with the law enforcement response as authorities worked to locate the shooter and make sure the surrounding area was safe.
Authorities had not announced a motive for the shooting. Investigators also had not publicly explained whether the person who opened fire knew the student or what was said during the exchange police believe preceded the gunfire. Those questions remained part of the homicide investigation Friday.
The killing brought another violent disruption to a Houston-area school community during the same week. Days earlier, a 15-year-old Spring ISD student was fatally shot near Westfield High School north of Houston. Authorities arrested a 14-year-old in that separate case and said the teen was charged with murder. Police had not indicated that the two shootings were connected.
Westbury High School is on Chimney Rock Road in southwest Houston and serves students in grades nine through 12. The fatal shooting occurred nearby rather than on the campus itself, a distinction school officials emphasized while maintaining security measures during the police investigation.
As the search continued Friday, homicide investigators were reviewing available video and interviewing people who may have witnessed the shooting. The student’s identity remained withheld, and police had not announced an arrest or released a suspect description.
Author note: Last updated September 25, 2026.