A Texas teen is being honored as a "hero" after she was killed in a "senseless" road-rage shooting in Houston as she was driving to watch the sunrise with her friends.
Louise Jean Wilson, 17, of Whitney, was fatally shot Dec. 10 while driving on I-45 around 1 a.m., Chief Troy Finner said during a press conference this week.
"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," Daniel Wilson, Louise's father, said during the press conference. "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."
Daniel also shared a message with the perpetrator. "Just think about … what you took from this world and what she could have done," he said. "Lay that on your conscience, whoever did this. Just know … you took our baby girl."
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Daniel said his daughter was "just a few classes away" from earning her associate's degree. The 17-year-old died on her grandmother's birthday.
Chief Finner applauded Daniel and Louise's mother, Krista Wilson, for their strength.
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"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," the police chief said. "Every family is important to us. Every block in this city is important to us."
Houston homicide Det. Caleb Bowling said Wilson was driving toward Galveston with two male friends from Whitney when she moved into the right lane and unintentionally cut off the suspect vehicle. The suspect driver, described as a Black male in his 20s driving a black sedan, allegedly accelerated and "overtook" Wilson's vehicle on the driver's side before he began firing.
Wilson was shot multiple times and died at the scene. One male witness was shot and transported to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, while the second male witness was not injured.
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"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.
Police are looking for any additional witnesses who may have seen the shooting unfold to come forward with more information. A reward is being offered for any information leading to the suspect's identity and arrest.
Wilson wanted to work in law enforcement as a K-9 handler one day. She "did rodeo for several years" and loved animals, Krista Wilson said.
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A GoFundMe for the Wilson family titled "Support the Wilsons in this time of tragic loss" describes Louise as a "caring and gentle soul with a lovely personality that could light up a room."
"Her life had far reaching impacts that only now we are able to comprehend," the GoFundMe description states. "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."
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While discussing the details of Wilson's death, Chief Finner also noted that another 17-year-old girl, Kayla Stevenson, was robbed and fatally stabbed while walking to work outside a Houston mall on Dec. 9.
Houston Police arrested 37-year-old Kaysone Sky Blossom in Stevenson's death. She is charged with capital murder.
"We want the same justice for the Wilson family as we did for the Stevenson family," Finner said.
