On the evening of April 17, 2024, at about 10:05 p.m., Killeen Police responded to a reported shooting in the 900 block of Southside Drive. Officers found 33-year-old Tres Maurice Carter inside a residence with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency Medical Services transported Carter to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 10:44 p.m. by Justice of the Peace Nicola James.

A 22-year-old man, Xavier Mason Stokes, was arrested at the scene. Investigators determined the shooting was related to domestic or family violence and not a broader threat to the community. The Bell County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and charged Stokes with murder on April 19, 2024, and bond was set at $500,000. Reports identify Carter as Stokes’ stepfather, giving the case a familial context.

Anyone with information about Tres Maurice Carter or the events on April 17 is asked to come forward.