On the evening of May 5, 2026, the Temple Police Department responded to a call of shots fired in the 1300 block of Paseo Del Oro. Upon their initial investigation, officers were unable to locate any evidence of a crime or anyone in distress. The following morning, on May 6, 2026, police received another call for a welfare check at the same location.
It was then that they discovered the body of 18-year-old Ember Henry, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Ember was the son of former Salado mayor Bert Henry. The investigation into the death of the Salado teenager was immediately launched as a homicide.
Two individuals from Troy, 20-year-old Colton Carter and 18-year-old Donivan Bynum, were later arrested in connection with the death of Ember Henry. Federal charges were filed against both men for one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery under the Hobbs Act. According to a criminal complaint, Carter and Bynum were initially stopped by police on the night of the shooting near the crime scene, appearing nervous and claiming they were running from gunshots they had heard. They were identified and released at that time. The complaint further alleges that Carter had used his phone to plan a robbery of Henry for THC vape products and that Bynum acted as a lookout while Carter attacked Ember before shots were fired. The investigation was led by the FBI with assistance from the Temple Police Department, the Milam County Sheriff's Office, and the Belton Police Department.
Following the arrests, the community of Salado held a candlelight vigil at Sirena Park to honor Ember's life, where his father described him as respectful and driven. An obituary for Ember James Henry remembered him for his adventurous and witty personality. Carter and Bynum were booked into the Bell County Jail and later released to the U.S. Marshals. If convicted of the federal charges, both men could face up to 20 years in federal prison. The case against Carter and Bynum represents the collaborative efforts of local and federal law enforcement to bring justice for the planned robbery and subsequent death of Ember Henry.
