KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — After a deadly shooting Tuesday night near Griffith Loop in Killeen claimed the life of one man and injured three children, Royette Holmes, the mother of the injured children, believes the attack was not random but deeply personal.
Holmes shared that the suspect had been friends with her son, and tensions had escalated in the days leading up to the shooting. “It wasn’t random. The boy who did it, he’s actually been friends with my son. They’re friends, talking all year. They created a group on Instagram, where they talk a little trash, all that,” Holmes said.
The situation took a turn when Holmes oldest son was dropped off at home by a police officer after an altercation.
“Yesterday, I get surprised by a police officer dropping my oldest son off to the house, but at the same time he’s praising him because the boy, who did the shooting, was being really aggressive with my son,” Holmes said.
However, her 12-year-old son, who was still on the bus, became the next target. “While my 12-year-old was on that bus, this same kid, and his older brother, who also goes to Shoemaker High, attacked my 12-year-old son,” Holmes said.
Holmes revealed that the boys had agreed to box to settle their dispute, but the situation escalated into violence. “My 16-year-old was sitting in the front seat, and the driver was Jahid [the deceased victim]. My 16-year-old rolled down the window, and according to him, Jahid asked, ‘Where’s your pops?’ Not too long, maybe not even 15 seconds after that, the boy went under his garage, came back out, went behind the vehicle, and opened fire on the vehicle,” Holmes said.
Killeen Police have not released additional information about the case, but Holmes had a message for the teen suspect. “To the suspect, I want to say that you can be better than this. You have to control yourself, young man. You took a lot from us, a lot from us, and we’ll never be able to get that back. But, I don’t hate you,” she said.
Holmes’ oldest son, who was in critical condition earlier Wednesday, has since stabilized after receiving a blood transfusion. Meanwhile, Killeen ISD confirmed that a track meet at nearby Shoemaker High School was evacuated out of caution.
