On May 26, 2023, 35-year-old Adam Tobias was shot and killed during his daughter’s high school graduation party in southeast Houston. The celebration was at the home of his ex-partner on Santa Cecilia Lane; family and friends had gathered to honor his daughter, Destiny. Tobias, a father of six, stayed late to spend more time with his daughter. An argument developed between Tobias and 24-year-old Philip Arning, identified as the current boyfriend of Tobias’s ex-partner, reportedly over Tobias wanting to remain at the party.

Family accounts say Arning retrieved a firearm during the confrontation and shot Tobias outside the residence. Tobias, who was unarmed, died on the front steps. Houston police arrived around 4:15 a.m.; Arning stayed at the scene and was taken into custody without incident and later charged with murder. Court records show Arning had a 2021 charge for unlawfully carrying a weapon in a motor vehicle that was dismissed after completing a pretrial intervention program. The family has set up a GoFundMe for funeral expenses and says they want justice.

If anyone attended the party or has information about what happened that night, please share what is known.