A promising life was cut short just days after it began a new chapter. Kenneth “Trae” Leaks III, a standout athlete and recent graduate of Manvel High School, was shot and killed on May 24 — only four days after proudly receiving his diploma. He was 18 years old and preparing to leave Texas to attend Sterling College in Kansas on a full athletic scholarship.
Now, weeks later, Houston police have arrested an 18-year-old suspect. Zion Armon Mitchell has been charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the tragic shooting.
According to authorities, Leaks was in a car at an apartment complex near North Braeswood Boulevard and Braesmont Drive in southwest Houston. He had gone there to meet someone for a transaction. While seated inside the vehicle, multiple individuals approached. One of them, believed to be Mitchell, allegedly pulled a firearm and opened fire.
Trae was struck by gunfire and rushed to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. A second teenager in the car, a 17-year-old male, was also shot but survived with non-life-threatening injuries. Mitchell now faces charges for both incidents.
Photos, graduation decorations, and football memorabilia still hang in the Leaks family home — now painful reminders of a life filled with hope and promise.
Trae had just become the first in his immediate family to graduate from high school. His football talent and leadership earned him an athletic scholarship, and he was scheduled to move into his college dorm within weeks.
The arrest of Mitchell is a step toward closure for the family, but emotions remain raw. At a time when they should have been celebrating Trae’s next chapter, they were instead planning a funeral.
The family is still urging anyone with more information to contact Houston Police or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. They hope full justice will be served — not just for Trae, but for the dreams he never got to fulfill.
