On January 14, 2023, at approximately 4:49 a.m., the Llano County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call reporting multiple gunshot victims at a residence on Airport Road in Tow, Texas. Upon arrival, deputies discovered 38-year-old Preston Wessling and his 14-year-old son, Evan, deceased in the driveway from gunshot wounds.
Earlier that morning, around 1:07 a.m., a separate 911 call had reported gunshots in the same vicinity, though it remains unclear if the two incidents were connected.
The investigation, conducted by the Llano County Sheriff's Office in collaboration with the Texas Rangers and the District Attorney's Office, led to the arrest of two 19-year-old suspects, Kyler Nathaniel Allen and Jordan Eric Ostrander, on January 16, 2023. Both were charged with capital murder and held without bail in the Llano County Jail.
Authorities confirmed that the victims and suspects were acquainted, though specific details regarding their relationship and the motive behind the killings have not been publicly disclosed.
The tragic deaths of Preston and Evan Wessling have deeply affected the Tow community. Family members remember Preston as a generous individual and Evan as a well-liked freshman at Burnet High School. In response to the tragedy, the family established a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses.
Burnet Consolidated Independent School District provided grief counselors to support students and staff in coping with the loss of Evan.
As the legal process continues, the community remains in mourning, seeking justice and understanding in the wake of this senseless act of violence.
