On New Year’s Day, January 1, 2026, 15-year-old Brynlee Elizabeth Hampton was fatally shot while a passenger in a car in Amarillo, Texas. She had been returning from a New Year’s Eve gathering when the shooting occurred; witnesses say a single bullet passed through the back of the front passenger seat where Brynlee had been sitting.Brynlee was a sophomore at Tascosa High School, active on the volleyball team, a member of the National Honor Society, and played competitive volleyball with AEV Volleyball. Family members recall her as devout in her faith and known for sharing Bible verses and offering encouragement.Two 17-year-old suspects were arrested.

Court documents identify them as Jeremiah Matthews and Landry Matthews. Witnesses reported Jeremiah Matthews waving a gun and pointing it at other passengers before the shot, and the driver initially thought the sound was a firework until Brynlee said she had been shot.

Jeremiah was charged in the shooting; Landry faces a tampering with evidence charge after he allegedly removed the gun and discarded it down the street.Does anyone who knew Brynlee or was in that neighborhood that night have information to share?