Zachary Kaswayne Hughes Jr., a 24-year-old Black man, was fatally shot in Waco, Texas, in the spring of 2023. Family and friends gathered to mourn his passing at a funeral service held on April 15, 2023, at Greater Providence Baptist Church in Marlin, Texas. The service was live-streamed for those who could not attend in person.
On the afternoon of April 3, 2023, a call reporting a shooting sent Waco Police Department officers to the area near Bagby and Richter Avenues.
Arriving at approximately 12:53 p.m., they found two people suffering from gunshot wounds: Zachary Hughes Jr. and an unidentified woman. Both were transported to a local hospital, where Hughes died from his injuries. Authorities did not release an update on the female victim's condition. As a precaution, a nearby elementary school was briefly placed on a secure status, with doors locked while regular school business continued inside.
The investigation quickly led police to a suspect. One week after the shooting, on April 10, 2023, the U.S. Marshal’s Lone Star Fugitive Task Force located and arrested 29-year-old Charles Earl Ervin. He was subsequently charged in connection with the killing.
On June 22, 2023, a McLennan County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Ervin, charging him with the murder of Zachary Hughes, along with two counts of aggravated assault. The case concluded in October 2024, when Charles Earl Ervin was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder.
At the time of the incident, the Waco Police Department noted that Hughes’s death marked the city’s fourth homicide of 2023. In a statement, the department said that the recent murders in the city appeared to be unrelated and often stemmed from interpersonal conflicts.
