Khalil Carter was an 18-year-old Black man from Hobbs, New Mexico, remembered by loved ones for the laughter and kindness he brought to others. Born on May 30, 2001, he was deeply loved, especially by his younger sisters. His life was tragically cut short when he became one of three people killed in a shooting at a house party on August 25, 2019.
Shortly before 1 a.m.
that Sunday, the Hobbs Police Department received calls about a loud party and shots fired in the 1700 block of East Bond Street. When officers arrived, they discovered a chaotic scene with seven people suffering from gunshot wounds. Khalil, 24-year-old Kristal Avena of Hobbs, and 22-year-old Lamar Lee Kane Jr. of Washington, D.C., were found in the backyard. All three had sustained critical injuries and died at the scene. Four other partygoers were wounded: Michael Major, Turon Windham, Rontrell Hills, and Jasmine Stansell.
The investigation began immediately. According to a criminal complaint, one witness told police they saw the party’s DJ, Bishop Henderson III, point a gun and fire at a man standing near a beer pong table. Later that same day, authorities located and arrested Henderson, a 19-year-old from Hobbs. He was initially charged with aggravated battery.
After months of interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence, police and the District Attorney’s office determined there was probable cause to file more serious charges. Henderson was subsequently charged with three counts of murder for the deaths of Carter, Avena, and Kane. During the legal proceedings, Henderson’s defense attorney claimed the attack began as a drive-by shooting. Henderson himself reportedly told police that he only started shooting after shots were first fired into the party from over the backyard fence.
After several postponements, the case went to trial. In August 2022, a Lea County jury found Bishop Henderson III not guilty of all charges in the triple murder. Because no one has been convicted for the killings, the case remains unsolved. Authorities have asked anyone with information about the shooting to call the Hobbs Police Department at (575) 397-9265 or Lea County Crime Stoppers at (575) 393-8005.
