KPD investigates pair of deaths as possible murder-suicide
Killeen police are investigating a deadly shooting in which two neighbors died late Wednesday night in southwest Killeen.
Officers were called to the 4300 block of Hank Drive about 10:09 p.m., where they found two men with gunshot wounds. Neither were conscious or breathing when EMS personnel arrived and determined that both men were deceased, Killeen Police Department said in a news release.
Justice of the Peace Gregory Johnson pronounced one man dead at 10:05 p.m. and the other at 10:07 p.m.
After preliminary investigation, police determined this was an isolated incident between two neighbors who were engaged in an altercation. According to the release, one man produced a handgun and shot the other one, then turned the gun on himself and took his own life.
KPD is investigating the case and asks if anyone has information about this criminal act, to contact the Killeen Police Department.
Police said it is Killeen’s sixth murder case of the year.
Bunny Trail reconstruction project gets green light at Killeen Council meeting
The Killeen City Council passed Tuesday a long-awaited reconstruction for Bunny Trail to the tune of $5.8 million.
The construction plan was passed without discussion through the council’s consent agenda.
The reconstruction is part of the 2022 fiscal year Capital Improvement Plan.
The project will include roadway replacement, as well as replacements of the curb, gutter, sidewalk and drainage at Bunny Trail’s intersection with Stan Schlueter Loop.
Andrew Zagars, engineer for the city of Killeen, mentioned during a May 7 council workshop that this was something talked about extensively in the news and that the project should take about eight months.
District 4 Councilman Michael Boyd, whose district encompasses the area that will be worked upon, had asked Zagars during the May 7 meeting whether his constituents will experience disruptions.
Zagars said it would mostly be lane shifting and split construction.
“There’ll be just kind of narrowing of the roads as we go,” he said.
Killeen City Council elects Gonzalez as mayor pro tem, swears in Mayor Nash-King and council members at-large
The Killeen City Council Tuesday in a special meeting elected District 1 Councilwoman Jessica Gonzalez as the new mayor pro tem.
Members also certified the election results, and Municipal Judge Kris Krishna swore in Mayor Debbie Nash-King and Council Members at-large Jose Segarra, Ramon Alvarez and Riakos Adams.
All four incumbents were reelected on May 4.
Councilman Segarra won with 2,005 votes, Alvarez 1,293 and Adams 1,168. Juan Rivera just lost to Adams at 1,051.
Nash-King thanked Councilwoman Nina Cobb for her service as mayor pro tem. “You are always there and very supportive,” she said, asserting that Cobb has always been there when Nash-King’s schedule has been too busy.
Cobb was the lone council member to vote against Gonzalez’s nomination. Nevertheless, Cobb, who attended the meeting via Zoom, said Gonzalez would make a great mayor pro tem.
Early-morning hailstorm hits the area on Mother’s Day
Some residents in the Killeen-Fort Cavazos area woke up Sunday to a heavy rain and hail as large as golf balls.
According to the National Weather Service-Fort Worth, 1.18 inches of rain fell with hailstones 1-inch in diameter recorded. Comments made on social media, seem to dispute that.
In a post about the storms on the Killeen Daily Herald Facebook page Sunday, many commenters submitted photos and videos of hail, flooding and damage to their property.
According to one Herald reader, Kristy Strand, “it sounded like my roof and windows were about to break, it wasn’t a gentle wake up ... it was more like a giant tried to play drums on my roof.”
In north Killeen, Lorraine Daniels sent in a photo of a split tree with her post, “Gonna miss this part of the tree.”
Marc Yoon described it as “the wrath of mother nature on mother’s Day.”
Heavy rains flood Killeen streets
Flooding, traffic jams and wrecks were all reported Thursday as the Killeen area experienced flooding from rain. As of 9:50 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service-Fort Worth recorded around 2.29 inches of rain in the Killeen area.
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth had Killeen under a flash flood warning until 5:15 p.m. Thursday and a flood watch until 7 a.m. Friday.
City crews were out and about in the rain closing flooded streets and intersections, and Killeen Assistant Chief of Police Alex Gearhart said a few cars stalled trying to cross the high water. He said to tell drivers: “turn around. Don’t drown.”
Other than some localized street flooding, there were no major problems, Gearhart said.
Multiple wrecks were reported in the area, including Interstate 35 near Belton and Temple, where a thick traffic jam was reported.
