"It was just a tough pill for us to swallow because you shouldn't have to bury a kid at 15,16, years old," Dekaney High School head football coach, Anthony Williams, said. "And unfortunately, we've done this too often."
Zion Lampley, the 16-year-old who was killed, was one of his sophomore football players.
"He was just always smiling. He was always smiling. He loved his team. He loved his teammates," Williams said. "He loved football. Just was a good kid to be around."
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said Zion was shot and killed after approaching a car and speaking to the people inside on Imperial Valley Drive in north Harris County on Sunday, Feb. 12. Surveillance video from a nearby store captured his final moments.
READ MORE: Surveillance video captures shooting that killed 16-year-old boy in north Harris Co.
Video captures shooting that killed 16-year-old boy in N. Harris Co.
Why this happened is still being investigated, and right now, there are only speculations.
"A lot of kids have lost their lives within a two-year span. One is too many," Williams said.
Williams says resources need to be poured into the community as he feels there's been an increase of violence and teen deaths.
"Probably not even 200 meters away from where Zion was found dead, we had a kid by the name of Bryan Galindo that was shot and dropped off in this area," Williams said. "Unfortunately, a lot of kids between the ages of 15 to 21 are not making the right decisions, and we just need help in this area."
Deputies say they don't receive a lot of calls for service near the Imperial Valley Drive area. They say the other side of the freeway, just minutes from that area, is district one.
HCSO says the area near Parramatta Lane and Hollow Tree Lane is considered one of the county's hottest zones for aggravated assaults and murders.
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"Life is real. If you take somebody's life, you're going to have consequences for that. You're going to have a conscience for that," Williams said.
He says it takes a village to educate and cultivate change: from school officials, to parents, to law enforcement and our community. He wants this to be the start of a conversation toward real change.
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