A teenage gathering at an unlicensed pop-up nightclub in Houston resulted in the deaths of two young individuals and injuries to four others. As reported by Click2Houston, police were called to the scene last Saturday night at The Curfew LLC, an unregulated venue operating out of an empty building on Jensen Drive near the Eastex Freeway. The facility, which had previously been a church, was being used for unsanctioned events and lacked formal oversight.
At the scene, officers found a mother grieving the loss of her 14-year-old daughter, one of the two fatalities in the unexpected shooting. "They killed my baby," Charlisa Jones said in a statement obtained by ABC13, identifying her daughter, Azyria Bankhead. Cleshaun Bankhead, the victim's brother, recalled the moments leading to the incident, "She was like, 'Alright, I am going to go with my friends,' and after that, I was standing next to her, and all I heard was shots. I looked down and went to the restroom, and when I came out, they were carrying my sister out, and she was lifeless."
The police are actively searching for a suspect, described by witnesses as a tall, thin man wearing black, a hooded sweatshirt, and a mask. Authorities have no information about the suspect or a potential getaway vehicle and are urging anyone with details to contact the Houston Police Department or Crime Stoppers. The investigation is further complicated by the lack of formal surveillance at the unsanctioned venue, which typically would be found in established nightclubs.
Meanwhile, the dual nature of the venue is under scrutiny, as it hosted both teenagers and adults, at times offering BYOB options. A mother mourns her daughter, Jones told Click2Houston, "Azyria loved life," She added, "She was happy. She didn’t deserve this."
