On June 25, 2024, at about 11 a.m., Austin police found 13-year-old Julian Anthony Hernandez-Sandoval in a bedroom in the 12200 block of Kelton Drive with a gunshot wound. Emergency personnel transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m. A family member initially said Julian had shot himself, but investigators later determined he was shot by a family member who said the shooting was accidental.

Court documents later identified the shooter as Julian’s cousin, 18-year-old Charles Simmons, who admitted he was “playing around” with a firearm when he shot Julian in the head. Simmons was charged with manslaughter. Julian’s mother, Ashley Sandoval, organized a fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses; funeral services were held in late July.

If anyone has information about the circumstances in that home or remembers events from June 25 in the Kelton Drive area, please share what you know.