HOUSTON – Community leaders and residents of North Shore are gathering Monday evening to address an alarming surge in youth gun violence that has claimed multiple lives and disrupted the local high school’s football program.
The meeting comes after three North Shore High School football players lost their lives to gun violence in the past 18 months.
The most recent incident occurred last week when Isaiah Phillip, 17, was fatally shot at a pool party in northeast Harris County.
“I don’t want to wake up and see that another kid was murdered,” said Braxton Coles, who lost his grandson Jarvon to gun violence last spring. “They may have just killed the cure for diabetes. They may have killed the cancer cure. Who knows what we are losing through senseless gun violence.”
The situation intensified when star defensive player Chace Calicut was arrested in connection with a separate shooting incident earlier this month.
According to Harris County Sheriff’s Office records, Calicut faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Calicut denies any wrongdoing and claims that his now deceased teammate, Phillip, threatened him into being involved in the shooting that happened on July 6.
The string of violent incidents has prompted both school and community responses.
Sources within the North Shore football program confirm coaches recently held a special team meeting, bringing in speakers to address decision-making and violence prevention.
The community meeting, organized by Coles through his “Crash Out For Cause” initiative, aims to develop strategies for educating youth and steering them away from gun violence. The gathering welcomes all community members interested in contributing to solutions.
“We need to stop,” Coles emphasized, reflecting on the loss of his grandson Jarvon, who was killed when gunfire erupted at a party in Humble last spring. Investigators determined he was not the intended target.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Hampton Inn on Karissa Court and will run until 8:30 p.m.
Organizers hope to foster collaboration between community members, educators, and local leaders to address the root causes of youth violence.
KPRC 2 asked the Galena Park ISD for comment, but our messages were not returned.
