HOUSTON - A Harris County medical examiner has confirmed the identity of the teenage boy killed in a shooting near Lamar High School on Tuesday.
Officials said 18-year-old Delindsey Mack was murdered as he walked near the school with another student, a 15-year-old girl who was grazed by a bullet in the gunfire.
Mack's family released his name as the victim late Tuesday. They have declined to share any photos of the teen, fearing retaliation as the search for the suspects continues.
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Houston Police Houston police are still trying to pinpoint a motive. Homicide detectives believe the victim was targeted by the three suspects. After the initial shooting, a masked man then walked up and shot the teen victim a second time while he was lying on the ground, according to witnesses.
There were stepped-up patrols at Lamar High School Wednesday and one block away on Bammel Lane, where Mack was murdered. There were also more patrols at Yates High School where Mack attended school up until a few weeks ago when he transferred to Lamar.
At Yates, Mack was known for being an outstanding football player. He was also suspected of associating with a gang. His family told KHOU he switched schools to escape gang violence.
The flags on campus were at half-staff. Student says around noon, there was a moment of silence for Mack just as there was for the two students who died last week in a murder-suicide.
Many students, however, say it’s not enough.
“A lot of kids are frustrated that we had to return to school and act like nothing happened, but both these things happening in over a week. It was kind of shocking to the student body,” said Lamar senior Max Ha.
HISD’s Superintendent Grenita Lathan extra counselors were on hand Wednesday to help students deal with the loss. At a press conference Tuesday, she was pleading with young people to stop gun violence.
“We need the city’s help," Lathan said. "Our children should be able to come to school and learn in a safe environment, and they should be safe when they leave our campuses."
The gunfire on Tuesday caused a lockdown scare at nearby schools, including Lamar.
Students at Lamar say it was only a matter of time before gun violence made it so close to home.
“Really, nobody has done anything to address the fire-arms issue, even when they’re pretty prevalent and they shouldn’t be for a high school,” said Sebastian Hernandez, a senior at Lamar.
The search continues for the suspects, but police Tuesday night said their getaway vehicle was found later that day. The black four-door Subaru with paper plates and a plastic bag hanging from a rear window was located around 8 p.m. in the 3100 block of Trulley Street in Third Ward not far from the Gulf Freeway and Scott Street. Police said that car was stolen during an aggravated robbery on Nov. 9.
However, police said Wednesday afternoon, the suspects may have left in a small, dark gray, four-door car, possibly a Nissan Sentra or Versa with paper license plates and plastic covering the rear passenger side window.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted they believe this was a gang-related shooting.
Mayor Sylvester Turner also provided a statement on the shooting, saying, in part, "The city of Houston will not tolerate gang activity or any senseless violence on our streets, especially not the kind that targets young people. Our children are off limits. I want parents and students to feel protected and confident while they are near or inside a school."
Police have not released descriptions of the suspects, but they are asking for anyone with any information to come forward.
Call Houston Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS or HPD Homicide at (713) 308-3600 if you can help in the investigation.