University High School mourns shooting death of teen athlete

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Waco police are investigating the fatal shooting of a teenage athlete who attended University High School, marking the school’s second shooting death in less than a year.

Officers were called to the 700 block of Ruby Avenue about 8:40 p.m. Sunday on a report of a shooting and found DreVion Booker, 16, with a gunshot wound, Waco police reported.

Booker, a varsity basketball player at University High School, was taken to a local hospital, where he later died, police officials said.

No arrests have been made and Waco police report the investigation is “active and ongoing.”

Booker’s death is the fifth murder investigation for Waco police since the first of the year.

In a news release, Waco Independent School District officials said crisis counselors are available to assist students and staff affected by Booker’s death.

“On behalf of Waco ISD, I express our heartfelt sympathy to the family, friends, and classmates of DreVion during this very difficult time,” Superintendent Susan Kincannon stated.

Booker’s death comes nine months after Tydreun Felder, 17, the UHS Trojan quarterback, died of a gunshot wound he received at an East Waco apartment complex. Paul Allen Hall, 17, was later arrested and charged with manslaughter in the shooting on May 14, 2021, which was thought to be accidental.

Community members who need crisis counseling can contact the Crisis Text Line for free counseling by texting the word HOME to 741741, or visiting crisistextline.org.

— Wacotrib