Crime
13-Year-Old Arrested for Fatal Shooting of 18-Year-Old at Benton Park in Amarillo
AMARILLO, TX – A 13-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at Benton Park on Tuesday evening, according to the Amarillo Police Department.
At approximately 7:30 p.m. on April 22, officers responded to a report of a shooting at Benton Park, located in the 1400 block of South Vernon Street in east Amarillo.
Upon arrival, officers discovered 18-year-old Ethan DeLeon suffering from a gunshot wound inside a vehicle parked at the scene.
Officers immediately began performing life-saving measures until paramedics arrived. Despite their efforts, DeLeon was pronounced dead at the scene.
Through the course of the investigation, detectives with the Amarillo Police Department Homicide Unit determined that the alleged shooter was a 13-year-old male.
The juvenile suspect was taken into custody and has been booked into the Youth Center of the High Plains on a charge of murder.
Crime Scene Investigators remained on site for several hours Tuesday night, collecting evidence and processing the scene.
Authorities have not yet released details regarding the motive behind the shooting or how the suspect came into possession of a firearm.
The Amarillo Police Department is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact APD’s Homicide Unit at (806) 378-9468 or submit tips anonymously through Amarillo Crime Stoppers at (806) 374-4400.
This tragic incident has left the community shocked, as questions remain about the involvement of such a young suspect in a deadly act of violence.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon following a shooting inside the Austin Central Library that left one person seriously injured and prompted a large emergency response and temporary shelter-in-place order in the downtown area.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officers responded shortly after 12:00 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside the Austin Central Library, located at 710 W. César Chávez Street.
Upon arrival, police and Austin-Travis County EMS units found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The individual was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers stated during a press briefing that the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived.
After an extensive search, the suspect—identified as 55-year-old Harold Newton Keene—was located and arrested in South Austin at approximately 1:25 p.m.
The library was safely evacuated, and the shelter-in-place alert was lifted shortly after Keene’s apprehension.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident involving only one suspect and one victim.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” Rogers confirmed.
Preliminary reports and public records reveal that Harold Newton Keene has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for assault, family violence, terroristic threats, burglary, drug possession, and evading arrest.
He is described by law enforcement officials as a habitual violent offender who has had numerous prior run-ins with police.
Records indicate Keene was previously arrested for threatening a man with a firearm several months ago and, in a separate incident, assaulted another inmate while in custody at the Travis County Jail.
In both cases, prosecutors later declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The Austin Police Department’s Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Austin Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.