Douglas William Smith, an 18-year-old from Waller, Texas, was shot and killed on May 23, 2021, on Bowler Road in Waller County. He served as a volunteer firefighter with the Tri-County Volunteer Fire Department. The shooting also injured another man, Tristan Aguirre.

Authorities arrested Joshua Michael Hahn, a former University of Houston deputy fire marshal and volunteer firefighter in Waller County, and charged him with manslaughter in connection with Smith’s death and with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the injury to Aguirre. Investigators reported conflicting accounts: Hahn said the shooting was accidental and that he had unloaded the rifle but had not checked the chamber, while witnesses said Hahn had been pointing the rifle at Smith when it discharged. The sheriff’s office investigated the incident and the community raised funds to cover Smith’s funeral expenses.

How many people in Waller County knew Douglas through the fire department and can shed light on his role there or the events that night?