An 18-year-old student has been charged with murder after a 16-year-old classmate was stabbed to death on campus during a confrontation over a missing $21 vape pen, authorities said. The Dec. 17 stabbing happened inside a classroom at Ross S. Sterling High School in the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District.
Prosecutors identified the suspect as Aundre Lebron Demond Matthews and the victim as sophomore Andrew Meismer. Investigators say the teens argued about a vape device before leaving a classroom and continuing the dispute in a restroom and later a lab room, where a fight broke out. During that altercation, Matthews allegedly used a pair of scissors to stab Meismer in the neck. The case has prompted questions about campus safety as students and parents gathered outside the school in the days after the killing. Matthews is being held on a $3 million bond as prosecutors prepare for upcoming court proceedings.
According to court filings summarized by officials, surveillance video shows the two students walking together before asking to use the restroom. Prosecutors say Matthews accused Meismer of stealing the vape, searched him in the bathroom, then returned to class and later moved into a lab room, where the confrontation escalated into a fight. A classmate yelled for help and a teacher rushed in, officials said. Meismer was airlifted to a Houston hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a stab wound to the neck. The Harris County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. Matthews was arrested and booked on a murder charge following interviews with witnesses and a review of camera footage.
In an initial court appearance, prosecutors said the alleged motive centered on the vape device’s small dollar value and described a sequence in which Matthews concealed scissors in his waistband before the final confrontation. Defense counsel argued for a lower bond, citing the defendant’s lack of criminal history and his status as a senior nearing graduation. The judge maintained the $3 million bond. Prosecutors also signaled they may seek to deny bond at a separate hearing next month, a process allowed under a recent state constitutional amendment in certain violent-crime cases. Authorities have not alleged that any other students aided the attack, and no additional arrests were announced.
Goose Creek CISD officials said the district is cooperating with Baytown police and emphasized that student discipline decisions are guided by state and federal laws. Parents and students held demonstrations outside Sterling High, demanding more information about the timeline and calling for stronger safety measures. Friends described Meismer as well-liked and quick to help classmates. The campus, home to roughly 2,500 students, resumed operations under heightened security while counselors met with students affected by the incident.
Investigators are cataloging classroom and hallway video, interviewing students who saw parts of the confrontation, and reviewing dispatch and nurse logs to reconstruct the response. Detectives are also examining whether the scissors were taken from a classroom and whether any prior disputes between the teens were reported to staff. Officials have not released a full incident report, and questions remain about how long the fight lasted and what immediate steps teachers took before the stabbing. Police said there is no ongoing threat to the campus community.
Next steps in the case include a bond review and preliminary hearings in early January. Prosecutors are expected to file additional discovery, including lab analyses and enhanced video stills. The district said any policy changes will be addressed after the police investigation concludes. Funeral plans for Meismer were not immediately announced. Matthews remains in the Harris County jail pending further court action.
As of Wednesday, authorities said the murder charge stands and the investigation continues, with a court update anticipated in early January and a decision forthcoming on any additional filings tied to the classroom evidence.
Author note: Last updated December 24, 2025.