On March 9, 2023, 23-year-old Taurus Berkhart Stubbs of Killeen, Texas, was fatally shot in Harker Heights. At approximately 1:28 a.m., Harker Heights Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 300 block of West Veterans Memorial Boulevard. Shortly thereafter, family members transported Stubbs to Seton Medical Center. Officers arriving at the hospital observed Stubbs being taken into the emergency room, where he was later pronounced dead at 4:58 a.m.
Justice of the Peace Nicola James ordered an autopsy to be conducted at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas.
Following an investigation, authorities arrested 23-year-old Killeen resident Tre Jean Smith on March 15, 2023, in connection with Stubbs' death. Smith was charged with murder and his bond was set at $1 million. He was subsequently taken into custody at the Bell County Jail. The Harker Heights Police Department acknowledged the assistance of the community, the Bell County Organized Crime Unit, and the Killeen Police Department in the investigation.
In April 2023, a Bell County Grand Jury indicted Smith on the murder charge related to Stubbs' death. The indictment formalized the charges against Smith, initiating the legal proceedings in the case. As of the latest available information, the case remains active, with authorities continuing their efforts to gather information and urging anyone with relevant details to contact the Harker Heights Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division.
