Kenneth Thomas, 19, was fatally shot during a home invasion at 2313 Kirk Street in Houston’s Fifth Ward on August 26, 2024, at about 1:55 p.m. Police say two people entered the home, stole two firearms and shot Thomas multiple times. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Witnesses described the assailants as Black males between 17 and 22. Houston police identified and arrested 19-year-old Frederick York of Humble on August 28, 2024; York was charged with murder in the 232nd State District Court. The second suspect has not been publicly identified and it is unclear whether that person has been apprehended.

Thomas’s family asked a funeral home to preserve some of his hair as a keepsake before cremation; the funeral home later acknowledged giving them another person’s hair and said it could not locate Thomas’s hair. Family and friends remember Thomas for his warm smile and caring nature.

If anyone has information about the shooting or the unidentified second suspect, please contact the HPD Homicide Division or Crime Stoppers.