Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Six Dead in Tragic Incidents in Southeast Texas as the New Year Begins

The transition from the old year to the new year was marred by a series of devastating tragedies in Southeast Texas, leaving six people dead and their families and friends in shock.

Triple Murder-Suicide in Orange County

Over the New Year’s weekend, three separate incidents resulted in the loss of six lives, with four individuals tragically falling victim to an apparent triple murder-suicide in Orange County.

The residents of North 8th Street and its surrounding areas in Orange woke up on New Year’s Day to the devastating news that four people, including a teenager, had been fatally shot.

The Orange Police Department (OPD) received a distress call at 7:50 a.m., reporting a shooting at 2406 North 8th St. Upon arrival, officers discovered the bodies of four individuals inside the residence. Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 Chad Jenkins pronounced them deceased and ordered autopsies. The victims were identified as Bobby Kiel Jr., 53; Porsha Kiel, 34; Janiya Lewis, 17, all from Orange; and Lester Lewis Ray Jr., 33, from San Augustine.

According to records from the San Augustine County Appraisal District, Lester and Porsha Lewis, who were married, had owned a single-family home on County Road 170 in San Augustine since September 2021.

San Augustine County Sheriff Robert Cartwright revealed that his deputies had responded to disturbances at the couple’s home in the Roberts community, south of San Augustine, on multiple occasions. However, no arrests or charges were made.

The OPD’s Criminal Investigation Division is treating the incident as a homicide, with one of the victims potentially being the gunman. Romona Barnes, Bobby Kiel’s wife, claimed on social media that her husband, daughter, and granddaughter were murdered by Lester Lewis, but the police have not yet confirmed her allegations.

Sgt. Issac Henry III stated that more information would be released at a later date, but stressed that the investigation division would not rush its findings.

Kiel, a native of Kountze, was employed at International Paper, according to his social media account. Janiya Lewis was a student at Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School in Orange.

Trail Ride Shootings

A large gathering for a “trail ride” event on Bigner Road created obstacles for law enforcement and first responders after a shooting was reported on December 30. The Beaumont Police Department (BPD) received a call about two gunshot victims lying near the West Beulah Baptist Church in the 6500 block of Bigner Road.

Upon arriving at the scene, BPD officers faced the challenge of navigating through approximately 1,000 attendees. Due to the crowd’s size, Beaumont EMS and patrol units were unable to reach the victims by vehicle. Officers had to approach the victims on foot and carry them out of the “uncooperative crowd,” according to BPD.

One victim was transported to an awaiting Beaumont EMS unit, while the other victim was taken to a local hospital by a BPD patrol unit. A third gunshot victim arrived at a local hospital in a private vehicle.

Tragically, Rodtravian Perry, a 25-year-old Houston resident, was pronounced dead. The second victim was in critical condition, while the third suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

BPD requested assistance from local law enforcement agencies to clear and secure the crime scene. Detectives believe there are numerous witnesses and potential cellphone videos of the incident, but they have encountered a lack of cooperation from those present at the scene.

Throughout the night, BPD received multiple calls for service related to the trail ride event.

Officer Haley Morrow, BPD’s public information officer, reported that two additional gunshot victims with minor injuries were later identified.

During the initial response to the shootings, officers discovered Tom Simpson, 26, who had an AR pistol in his waistband. Simpson was arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon. At this time, the incident involving Simpson is believed to be unrelated to the shooting, according to BPD.

Anyone with information about the triple shooting is urged to contact BPD at (409) 832-1234 or submit a tip to Southeast Texas Crime Stoppers at (409) 833-TIPS (8477). All tips provided to Crime Stoppers are anonymous, and callers may be eligible for a cash reward.

Store Clerk Fatally Shot

BPD reported that one suspect has been arrested, while another remains at large in connection with the shooting death of a store clerk at Kris Food Mart, located at 3090 Gulf Ave, on December 29.

Officers responded to the convenience store at 10:09 p.m. after receiving a report of a shooting victim. Upon arrival, they discovered the store clerk dead from gunshot wounds. Preliminary investigation revealed that two suspects had entered the store, robbed the clerk at gunpoint, shot and killed the clerk, and then fled on foot after stealing cigarettes.

The victim was identified as Sheikh Abir-Hossain, a 34-year-old resident of Beaumont.

BPD received multiple Crime Stoppers tips that led to the identification of Keandre Marquis Robinson, a 19-year-old Beaumont resident, as one of the suspects.

Justice of the Peace Naomi Doyle issued a murder warrant for Robinson and set his bond at $800,000. Robinson was arrested three hours later. BPD reported that Robinson allegedly shot and killed the clerk during the aggravated robbery.

On January 2, a murder warrant was issued for the second suspect, Larry Nathaniel Hagan, a 26-year-old individual with ties to Beaumont who is currently at large. Surveillance video obtained by detectives indicated that Hagan was wearing a black hoodie with the word “NERD” printed on it and was armed with a handgun.

A GoFundMe account organized by the Bangladesh Student Association (BSA) at Lamar University has been set up to support Abir-Hossain’s family. The account stated that Abir-Hossain leaves behind his wife, a 2-year-old daughter, and his mother. BSA also emphasized that Abir-Hossain was pursuing his dreams at Lamar University.

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