A Friendswood teen, identified as 17-year-old Connor Hilton, has been charged with murder and his bond has skyrocketed to $1 million after a deadly shooting took the life of one teenager and left another in critical condition. The incident occurred on December 23, on La Salle Street in the Houston suburb, as Hoodline reported.
The dire sequence of events led to the death of 18-year-old Ethan Riley and seriously wounded a 19-year-old who was not named, Hilton was initially charged with assault but following Riley's death, the charges were upgraded by authorities and Hilton's bond was set at a total of $1 million, Riley succumbed to his injuries the next day; his passing brought further anguish to the community, noted The Houston Chronicle in a detailed account of the aftermath.
Charging documents revealed a chilling admission as Hilton told officers he had "thought about, and wanted, to commit a homicide for a long time," using a handgun he had convinced his mother to purchase for him, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The shooting, according to police, seemed unprovoked as there had been no disturbance prior to the incident; this was when Hilton was allegedly showing the gun to the victims before the fatal shots were fired.
Despite the hefty bond, reports indicate that Hilton managed to post bond and was released from the Galveston County Jail on Christmas Eve; this has caused some consternation in the community, especially since his release wasn't accompanied by strict monitoring conditions to help ensure added security, Hilton's legal representation, Jennifer "J.L" Carpenter, disputed claims regarding the purchase of the gun, but declined to provide further details on the case when approached by reporters.
Hilton is scheduled to appear in court again on February 2, with the investigation ongoing as police and the Galveston County District Attorney's Office are considering additional charges pending the recovery—or otherwise—of the second victim, who remains in critical condition. Meanwhile, the Hilton family has expressed their condolences to the victims' families, calling the situation "devastating" in a statement cited by The Houston Chronicle.
