In a tragic incident that unfolded in Houston, Texas, a 17-year-old girl, Louise Jean Wilson, was fatally shot in what is being described as a "senseless" act of road rage.
The incident occurred on December 10, while Wilson was driving on I-45 around 1 a.m., according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.
The young woman from Whitney, Texas, was on her way to the beach with her boyfriend to watch the sunrise on her day off. "Our daughter was just trying to go to the beach to watch the sunrise with her boyfriend on her day off before she had to go back to work again," said Daniel Wilson, Louise's father, during a press conference.
In a poignant tribute to his daughter, Daniel Wilson said, "She ended up dying a hero. She was shot through her heart, and she was still able to safely pull over the car and save people in her car and other people who were driving. She wanted to help people, and she helped them."
The grieving father also had a message for the perpetrator, saying, "Just think about what you took from this world and what she could have done. Lay that on your conscience, whoever did this. Just know you took our baby girl."
Louise Wilson was close to earning her associate's degree, being "just a few classes away," according to her father. The tragic incident coincided with her grandmother's birthday.
Chief Finner commended the strength of Daniel and Louise's mother, Krista Wilson, in the face of such a devastating loss. "We've been here before, and it's sad. We're in a large city with some homicides, and we've got a lot of work to do," he said. "Every family is important to us. Every block in this city is important to us."
Houston homicide Detective Caleb Bowling provided further details about the incident. Wilson was driving toward Galveston with two male friends when she unintentionally cut off the suspect's vehicle. The suspect, described as a Black male in his 20s driving a black sedan, allegedly accelerated, overtook Wilson's vehicle, and began firing.
Wilson was shot multiple times and died at the scene. One of her male companions was also shot and transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the other was unharmed.
"Miss Wilson was able to brake her vehicle before coming to a complete stop. Louise's last act was to safely pull over, most likely saving the lives of two males," Bowling said. "It was a heroic act to get that car to the side and stop with the injuries that she sustained."
The police are appealing for any witnesses to the incident to come forward and are offering a reward for information leading to the suspect's identification and arrest.
Louise Wilson had aspirations of working in law enforcement as a K-9 handler. She was an animal lover and had participated in rodeo for several years, according to her mother, Krista Wilson.
A GoFundMe page set up for the Wilson family describes Louise as a "caring and gentle soul with a lovely personality that could light up a room." The page reads, "Her life had far reaching impacts that only now we are able to comprehend. She is forever in our hearts and memories. And we know she is up there with God singing and dancing in the perfect peaceful landscape of heaven. Until we meet again in the new heaven and on the new earth, we will miss her dearly."
Chief Finner also mentioned another recent tragedy involving a 17-year-old girl, Kayla Stevenson, who was robbed and fatally stabbed while walking to work outside a Houston mall on December 9. A 37-year-old woman, Kaysone Sky Blossom, has been arrested and charged with capital murder in Stevenson's death. "We want the same justice for the Wilson family as we did for the Stevenson family," Finner said.
Login