Leaders focus on gang problem following deadly shooting at Worthing High School

HOUSTON Houston police call the Worthing High School shooting one of the biggest gang on gang shootings they've seen in almost 10 years. Now a family is mourning and the surrounding community says it won't stand for it.

Ms. Kitty, as she's affectionately called in the neighborhood, says she raised her grandson, 18-year-old Tremaine Paul, from a toddler. She says it was his affection for the girls that sent him to Worthing High School Thursday night. He was there to watch a girl's powder puff football game.

"He loved to see the ladies," she recalled. "He talked to the ladies. He loved the ladies."

Witnesses Clarence and Mason, who didn't give their last names, say Paul was standing on the field next to them when a Ford Taurus drove up. They say there was a fight and then a shooting.

Clarence said, "You just see people running back to the car, like they fixing to start shooting."

"Somebody said, 'Somebody got shot,' so everybody started running back to the person that got shot," Mason said.

In the melee, six people were shot. Tremaine Paul, his mother's only child, was killed.

"It is nonsense, very nonsense, because I can't bring him back," said Tremaine's mother LaKeisha Paul. "I just want justice."

Police are investigating what's being called a gang-on-gang shooting. Houston City Council Member Wanda Adams says it has to stop.

"Because some hardheads decided to go on a campus and do drive-by shootings because they felt the need," Adams said. "It's unnecessary and we need to just pool our resources together with the limited funding that we have across the board."

In a round-table meeting, Adams gathered law enforcement, members of the mayor's anti-gang initiative and community members to discuss attacking the gang problem. Also in attendance was the principal of Worthing High School.

Principal Tamera Sterling said, "We don't have the resources that are needed to ensure that our students are safe and secure emotionally, physically at Worthing High School. That is something we desperately need."

Everyone is in agreement that something has to be done so the community and students don't go down this road again.

"It's other things you can do out here to get off the streets," said Mason. "Life is too short out here."

Police say they do not have anyone in custody. They say those detained on Wednesday night were questioned and then released. HPD says they are looking into a few gangs concerning this shooting. They say they still don't know whether or not students from Worthing or Yates high schools were involved in the actual shooting.

Five people are recovering from their injuries.

Eyewitness News requested the information on the crimes that happened in 2010 at and near Worthing High School. Below is what we found out.

Area where Worthing High School is located:

Murder 8
Rape 22
Robbery 167
Agg assalt 441
Burglary 525
BMV's 235

Worthing Hight School's exact address:

Agg asslt 5
Bmv's 10
Assault 31
Vandalism 3
stat rape 1
Narcotics 8
Gambling 4
Drunk 2
Fighting 12
Other 24
Total 100

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