Authorities arrested Abraham Jackson in connection to the fatal shooting of Gregory Warren, linking it to a planned cannabis deal, with bond set at $250,000.
HOUSTON — An arrest has been made in connection with a fatal shooting near Texas Southern University.
It happened on April 9 on Rosewood Street and Ennis Street. Gregory Warren, 18, was found dead inside the driver’s seat of a car. The incident put Texas Southern University and other nearby schools on lockdown.
Police said the suspect, Abraham Jackson, 31, had left the scene. He was later arrested and appeared before a judge on charges of murder, nearly two months after Warren was killed.
Prosecutors stated that Jackson used FaceTime to arrange a cannabis deal with Warren. He then allegedly entered the back seat of the car and shot him through the neck and head.
Jackson, along with another individual, allegedly fled with a backpack and a trash bag filled with something heavy, suggesting robbery motives.
The judge set Jackson’s bond at $250,000, denying the defense’s request to reduce it to $30,000.
Jackson’s attorney argued that he lives with his wife and young daughter, works at a church and has not missed a court date in two years. However, the judge cited Jackson’s criminal history and the seriousness of the crime.
“I have taken into consideration the defendant’s ability to afford bail… his obligations within society, financial and person and I still recognize the inherent danger presented by a person who shows up to a weed deal with a gun and a person ends up dead,” the magistrate judge said.
Prosecutors told the court that Jackson is on felony probation for aggravated robbery and previously served 15 years in prison. They said that the case could be upgraded to capital murder.
In the aftermath, Warren’s family has been advocating for justice. They told KHOU 11 that they are still processing his death.
“It feels like a nightmare I can’t wake up from. It feels like a bad movie,” Warren’s sister, Tierra Pearson, said. “I just want him to be remembered as that big spirit, kind heart, would go out of his way for anybody, everybody. Loved his family, loved his sisters.”
Loved ones said Warren just moved to Houston last year for a fresh start, adding that they are heartbroken he was taken from them so soon.
“It was just supposed to be a pleasant time for him. He just turned 18, so he was about to start his life, and he got robbed of that,” Warren’s father, Gregory Deshawn Warren Sr., said.
While the family is glad that Jackson is behind bars, they said it still does not fill the hole in their lives left by Warren’s passing.
“I think it’s good news that you guys have him in custody, for sure, but it’s so bittersweet, because it’s still so sad, and nothing’s going to take the pain away,” Warren’s stepmother, Loralene Warren, said. “I feel like this was a very selfish act, and it was very unfair.”
Adding to the anguish is that the family said Warren’s mother, Tina Davis, 54, died just one week after he did. They said her health started to fail following Warren’s death, and they blamed Jackson for the pain they felt.
“He killed my mom, too, because my mom died of a heartbreak because her son died,” Warren’s sister, Sarea Warren, said.
As they continue to grieve, the family said they will be watching the court process closely to make sure justice is served.
“He will have to sit there and look at our faces in court,” Pearson said.
Jackson is scheduled to be back in court on Monday, June 9.