“We are committed to dedicating all our resources to finding out what happened here tonight,” said Assistant Chief Luis Menendez-Sierra.
HOUSTON — Two teenagers are dead, and several others are injured after a shooting at a makeshift club in north Houston.
The shooting took place around 11:20 p.m. Saturday on Jensen Drive at Topping Street, at a venue called “The Curfew Club.”
When officers arrived, they saw numerous juveniles and young adults fleeing the scene. Several individuals were injured and received treatment on-site.
At this point, authorities have no details on a suspect or the motive behind the shooting.
A 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, while a 14-year-old girl died later at the hospital.
In addition to the two fatalities, four other individuals were injured, including a 13-year-old girl who is in critical condition. The other victims, aged 17, 18, and 19, are expected to recover.
Assistant Chief Luis Menendez-Sierra urged anyone with information to come forward.
“We are committed to dedicating all our resources to finding out what happened here tonight and who is responsible so we can bring them to justice,” he said. “If you were here tonight, we need your help.”
By Saturday afternoon, some witnesses had come forward, describing a tall, thin man wearing black clothing, a hooded sweatshirt, and a mask who was seen shooting into the crowd. However, police have yet to identify a suspect.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Police Chief J. Noe Diaz were also on the scene. Whitmire briefly addressed the situation.
“I’m here to support our first responders and learn about the circumstances surrounding this tragedy,” Whitmire said. “I’ll be following this closely for the next several days to understand how something like this—a spontaneous party—came about.”
Whitmire noted that the party was unregulated, with security either absent or leaving shortly after the shooting.
“It’s a tragedy, and my heart goes out to the families. We should keep them in our prayers,” he said. “We’ve lost young lives tonight, which could have been avoided if they hadn’t attended such events. I’ll continue to investigate further.”
The Instagram page for “The Curfew Club” promotes the venue as “the hottest teen club in Houston.” Videos from the venue’s Instagram stories showed a large crowd inside around 10 p.m. on the night of the shooting.
KHOU 11 News investigated “The Curfew Club” to learn more about the pop-up parties. Their search led to the club owner’s name, and they attempted to contact them at their home address. When a woman answered the door and learned they were from KHOU 11 News, she retreated into the house and closed the door.
By Sunday, the area around the venue was scattered with red solo cups, beer bottles, and shoes. Kimlon Ward and Deanna Freeman visited the scene after learning “The Curfew Club” had been operating at the former location of their church, Restoration Houston Ministry.
“We had to come and see because we couldn’t believe it. We just couldn’t believe it. This was our church,” Ward said.
Freeman expressed sorrow over the shooting, particularly the loss and injury of young people.
“We wanted to pray for the children who lost their lives here, and for the young lady in critical condition,” Freeman said.
Freeman, Ward, and other community members are now demanding justice.
“This isn’t the first party to take place here,” Freeman said. “There have been multiple parties, but this is the first tragedy we’ve heard of. It’s a really sad situation.”
KHOU 11 News also spoke with a woman who said her niece was the 14-year-old girl who was killed. She said the family is still in shock and devastated by the loss.