AMARILLO, Texas — The start of 2026 turned tragic for a tight-knit Texas community when 15-year-old Brynnlee Hampton lost her life in a senseless early-morning shooting on New Year’s Day. Friends, family, and classmates are still reeling from the news, and Amarillo police continue piecing together exactly how a night of celebration ended in heartbreak.
It was just after 1:10 a.m. on January 1, when officers responded to a call about a shooting near the 6000 block of Westwind Avenue. When they arrived, they found Brynnlee inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound and rushed her to a local hospital. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, she later died from her injuries.
Investigators say several teens were in the car at the time, and court records reveal that one of the 17-year-old boys was handling a firearm inside the vehicle. Witnesses told police he was waving the gun around, even pointing it at others in the car, before a loud bang was heard. The driver initially thought it was a firework. Moments later, another passenger realized Brynnlee had been hurt.
Police quickly arrested 17-year-old Jeremiah Luke Lajuan Matthews, charging him with manslaughter in connection with Brynnlee’s death. A second teen, 17-year-old Landrey Korde Matthews, faces a charge of tampering with evidence as authorities say he may have tried to interfere with the investigation. Both were booked into the Potter County Jail.
Inside the car, officers noted a single bullet hole in the seat and blood on the upholstery, signs that the shot came from within the vehicle itself. The driver’s account of hearing something like a firework and the quick reaction of passengers left police with several witness statements to sift through as they work the case.
The news has hit Brynnlee’s loved ones hard. Posts from her volleyball team and classmates describe her as a bright, spirited young girl whose absence will leave a hole in the lives of many. “Our hearts are broken,” wrote members of the Tascosa High School volleyball community, honoring her memory and offering support to her family.
Local authorities continue to urge safe handling and responsibility when it comes to firearms, especially among young people. As the legal process unfolds, the city of Amarillo mourns a life cut far too short, and many are left searching for answers in the quiet that followed that early morning tragedy.
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