On January 6, 2022, Bria Lockett, a 27-year-old Black woman from La Marque, Texas and a Prairie View A&M University graduate, was shot and killed in Hitchcock, Texas. The shooting occurred about 8:30 p.m. on Wayne Johnson Avenue near Prino Road. Bria was found in her vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds; her 3-year-old child, who was also in the car, was unharmed. Bria was taken to UTMB Galveston but succumbed to her injuries.

The Hitchcock Police Department and the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office investigated the killing. Initial reports indicated Bria was not the intended target and was an innocent bystander. After about two years of investigation, authorities indicted 25-year-old Brent Howard of Galveston County on a murder charge; he was in federal custody on unrelated gun charges at that time. Investigators say at least one other person may have been involved and the motive remains unclear.

Anyone who knew Bria or has information about the shooting is asked to contact the investigating agencies.