HOUSTON \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
Family members, students, alumni and community leaders joined the walk, honoring Warren while calling for more support and resources for young people.<\/p>\n
For Warren\u2019s mother, Jasmine Prater, the turnout was emotional.<\/p>\n
She said she was grateful to see so many people come out to support her son and his family.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope everybody remembers my son as the athlete he was, the happy, dancing child, the one who\u2019s gonna make you laugh when you\u2019re mad,\u201d Prater said.<\/p>\n
Prater also said she hopes Warren\u2019s death encourages adults to pay closer attention to what young people are experiencing.<\/p>\n
She believes mentorship can play an important role in preventing violence, particularly for children who may not feel comfortable talking with their parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cTalk to your children,\u201d Prater said. \u201cIf you feel something wrong, reach out to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Turning grief into action<\/p>\n
Warren\u2019s uncle, Nate Santee, said the walk was about remembering LePaul while also addressing the larger issue of gun violence affecting young people in Houston.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to bring awareness to gun violence in Houston,\u201d Santee said. \u201cHopefully to stop it, bring that bridge gap between the youth and also the adults in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Santee said the community needs to come together and create a plan to prevent future violence.<\/p>\n
The event was largely organized by young people and recent Westbury alumni.<\/p>\n
Darius Johnson, a recent graduate who helped organize the walk, said Warren\u2019s death hit close to home.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
For Johnson, the turnout demonstrated the love within the Westbury community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy to show that our community\u2019s love and it\u2019s not all about violence,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Community leaders call for more resources<\/p>\n
Councilman Edward Pollard said the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the city.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to get to these students individually,\u201d Pollard said. \u201cGive them confidence, a different perspective, give them guidance, mentorship, and love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pollard also said leaders need to examine how young people are gaining access to guns and consider what can be done through state laws.<\/p>\n
Organizers say the community also needs more after-school opportunities and safe places for young people to spend time.<\/p>\n
Johnson said young people need access to programs before they become involved in situations that could lead to violence.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s make sure we have programs, after-school programs,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n
For Warren\u2019s family and those who knew him, the goal is to make sure his life \u2014 rather than the violence that took it \u2014 is what people remember.<\/p>\n
Prater said Warren was a good-hearted child who was loved by many.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was my baby,\u201d she said. \u201cLong live Paul.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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