Nearly 300 people gathered in the Westbury community to remember LePaul Warren, a student who was shot and killed before school, turning their grief into a call for action against gun violence.
Family members, students, alumni and community leaders joined the walk, honoring Warren while calling for more support and resources for young people.
For Warren’s mother, Jasmine Prater, the turnout was emotional.
She said she was grateful to see so many people come out to support her son and his family.
“I hope everybody remembers my son as the athlete he was, the happy, dancing child, the one who’s gonna make you laugh when you’re mad,” Prater said.
Prater also said she hopes Warren’s death encourages adults to pay closer attention to what young people are experiencing.
She believes mentorship can play an important role in preventing violence, particularly for children who may not feel comfortable talking with their parents.
“Talk to your children,” Prater said. “If you feel something wrong, reach out to the community.”
Warren’s uncle, Nate Santee, said the walk was about remembering LePaul while also addressing the larger issue of gun violence affecting young people in Houston.
“We want to bring awareness to gun violence in Houston,” Santee said. “Hopefully to stop it, bring that bridge gap between the youth and also the adults in the community.”
Santee said the community needs to come together and create a plan to prevent future violence.
The event was largely organized by young people and recent Westbury alumni.
Darius Johnson, a recent graduate who helped organize the walk, said Warren’s death hit close to home.
Johnson said he was only minutes away when he learned what happened. He reached out to members of his graduating class, and the idea for the walk quickly grew.
For Johnson, the turnout demonstrated the love within the Westbury community.
“I’m happy to show that our community’s love and it’s not all about violence,” Johnson said.
Councilman Edward Pollard said the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the city.
Pollard said addressing gun violence among young people requires more than one solution. He pointed to mentorship, education and programs designed to give young people positive outlets.
“We have to get to these students individually,” Pollard said. “Give them confidence, a different perspective, give them guidance, mentorship, and love.”
Pollard also said leaders need to examine how young people are gaining access to guns and consider what can be done through state laws.
Organizers say the community also needs more after-school opportunities and safe places for young people to spend time.
Johnson said young people need access to programs before they become involved in situations that could lead to violence.
“Let’s make sure we have programs, after-school programs,” Johnson said.
For Warren’s family and those who knew him, the goal is to make sure his life — rather than the violence that took it — is what people remember.
Prater said Warren was a good-hearted child who was loved by many.
“That was my baby,” she said. “Long live Paul.”
The people who gathered for the walk say remembering LePaul is only the beginning. Their hope is that the grief surrounding his death will lead to greater community involvement, more resources for young people and action to prevent another family from experiencing the same loss.
