Bond denied for 17-year-old accused of killing Westbury HS student

HOUSTON - Attorneys are sharing the little information they have so far about the Friday shooting that killed a Westbury High School student near the campus.

Shooting near Westbury HS: New details on suspect

What we know:

A judge has currently denied bond for 17-year-old Travoris Hines. He is charged with murder and unlawful carrying of a weapon in the death of 17-year-old LePaul Warren.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said during a press conference that prosecutors are looking to have Hines remain in custody without bond throughout the investigation. That will be determined following a hearing in mid-October.

According to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, Hines is a former student at Westbury High School and was not a student at the time of the shooting. Hines' attorney confirmed the statement, adding that Hines and his family had previously made the decision for him to withdraw from Westbury, and he was in the process of earning his GED.

As of Monday, Teare said it's only believed that Hines and Warren knew of each other. How they knew each other is currently unknown.

Teare also denied suspicions of the shooting being tied to gang violence.

What we don't know:

Details of what led up to the shooting are unknown at this time.

The suspect reportedly claimed that he fired out of fear, but neither Teare nor Hines' attorney could confirm at that time.

Shooting near Westbury High School

The backstory:

The shooting was reported shortly before 8:30 a.m. Friday at an off-campus location near Westbury High School where students sometimes gather in the morning.

Police said someone reportedly came out of a nearby wooded area, words were exchanged and Warren was shot.

Campus police and a staff member went to the scene after the shooting and attempted lifesaving measures while paramedics responded. Warren did not survive.

Houston police said Hines was arrested Friday evening while walking along Hillcroft near Chimney Rock.

Police recovered a firearm during the arrest. Ballistics testing is underway to determine whether it was the weapon used in Warren’s killing.

Addressing youth violence

Big picture view:

Dr. Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk, says preventing youth violence requires earlier intervention, stronger communication between parents and children, and better access to mental health support. 

"We haven’t set up enough of a preventative system so that we’re catching some of this stuff early," Sanborn said. 

He cautioned against using a handful of incidents to draw broad conclusions about violence, while emphasizing the devastating impact each shooting has on the families and communities involved. 

Sanborn said some young people may be dealing with trauma or difficult experiences without getting the support they need. He called for more access to therapy and more opportunities for school counselors to work directly with students. 

He also said parents need help recognizing when their children are struggling and learning how to talk with them. Those conversations, he said, should begin well before high school and continue throughout childhood. 

"You need to have these ongoing relationships with your child so that that communication continues," Sanborn said. 

Social media can take time away from those relationships, he added, affecting both children and parents. 

Sanborn also pointed to children’s access to guns as another issue that must be addressed. He said prevention requires a combination of family communication, mental health support and efforts to keep dangerous weapons out of children’s hands. 

There is no single solution, he said, but those efforts together can help shape school and public policies that better protect children. 

"No one wants to see this happen," Sanborn said.

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