17-year-old killed when shots fired during fight after birthday party in SW Houston, family says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The search continues for the people responsible for a shooting that killed a 17-year-old in the parking lot of a hookah lounge Sunday morning in southwest Houston.

According to investigators, the shooting happened in the 7200 block of West Fuqua Street after 1 a.m. The street is expected to be closed until at least 10 a.m. because of the size of the scene. Authorities said they found additional evidence that poured out onto the street, which included items of clothing and blood.

When officers arrived, they said they found a 17-year-old, identified by relatives as Dayja Varnado, shot to death. Three other victims, a 20-year-old man, an 18-year-old man, and an 18-year-old woman, were taken to the hospital and are expected to be OK.

Varnado's friends and family told Eyewitness News that she was celebrating a friend's birthday party Saturday night at the hookah lounge.

HPD said the shooting evolved from some sort of altercation. Police believe there were at least two shooters based on different calibers in the shell casings found on the ground. Asst. Chief Wyatt Martin said investigators don't know if the suspects were shooting at each other or if they were together.

Varnado's friend, Aden Marshall, said he remembers there was a group of people outside in the parking lot when he heard shots fired. He said he rushed to her side after he saw she was shot.

"I went to her body as soon as the gunshots stopped. I went to make sure she was OK, to find her. As soon as I got there, she was already dead," Marshall said.

He told ABC13 that it was absolute chaos during the shooting, remembering he ducked for cover as gunfire rang.

"Everybody ran in separate directions because nobody knew exactly where the shots were coming from. But then it got to the point that they were just dumping. They came out. So I don't even know how many shots, but it was a lot," Marshall said.

Witnesses who survived the shooting believe Varnado was not the intended target, if there was one.

"It was just crazy how she died. She didn't really do anything. She was just standing there," Alex Lewis, a witness, said.

"She was literally an innocent bystander. She was just trying to enjoy herself," Quincy Felder, another witness who survived the shooting, said.

Varnado's brother, Mahdi Bey, described her as a "bright light." He shared she was just weeks away from her 18th birthday, and she was working on becoming a cosmetologist. He told ABC13 at the scene that his family is still trying to process what happened as they wait for more details.

"I feel like I'm in a very severe state of shock. It's almost like a dream. We can't believe that this has happened to someone that was so talented, someone that was so beautiful," he said. "This baby was not supposed to go. This was a 17-year-old heading for her senior year in high school. Now we're having to deal with these repercussions of someone who did something stupid and without knowledge. I want that brought to justice by any means."

If you know anything about this case, authorities urge you to contact the Houston Police Department's Homicide Division at (713) 308-3600.

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