AMARILLO, Texas — The heart of this Texas community broke early on New Year’s Day when a joyful promise of youth was cut short. Fifteen‑year‑old Brynnlee Hampton, a vibrant student and devoted volleyball player, died from a gunshot wound just after midnight as she and friends were leaving a party in Amarillo.
Police and emergency crews were called to the 6000 block of Westwind Avenue shortly after 1:10 a.m. on Jan. 1, where they found Brynnlee inside a vehicle with critical injuries. She was rushed to Northwest Texas Hospital, but despite doctors’ efforts, she was later pronounced dead.
Investigators described a chaotic scene inside the car. Court documents show that several teens in the vehicle told police a 17‑year‑old boy had been handling a firearm, waving it around and even pointing it at others before the tragic shot was fired. One passenger said the driver thought the loud bang was fireworks at first.
Authorities have charged Jeremiah Luke Lajuan Matthews, 17, with manslaughter, accusing him of recklessly causing Brynnlee’s death by playing with the gun. A second 17‑year‑old, Landrey Korde Matthews, was arrested on a charge of tampering with evidence after police say he tried to discard the weapon down the street.
Friends and classmates remember Brynnlee not for how she died, but for the energy and kindness she brought to the world. A standout athlete with the Tascosa High School volleyball team and an active member of the National Honor Society, she was known to uplift others with her warm smile and generous spirit. Teammates said she was always first to encourage someone who was struggling, on the court and off.
In the hours after the shooting, messages of support poured in for Brynnlee’s family. The local volleyball community posted on social media that “our hearts are broken,” and called her “a light on and off the court” whose memory they would always carry.
As Amarillo continues to grapple with this loss, schools and counseling services are offering support to students and families still trying to make sense of what happened. Brynnlee’s legacy, friends say, will live on in the laughter she shared, the matches she played, and the lives she touched with her caring nature.
