connor hilton shooting
Connor Hilton is a Texas man who, as a 17-year-old in Friendswood, shot two of his friends in the head on December 23, 2023, killing one and gravely injuring the other; he has since pleaded guilty and received a lengthy prison sentence.
Connor Hilton Shooting – Quick Scoop
What happened?
- On the night of December 23, 2023, at a home on La Salle Street in Friendswood, Texas, 17-year-old Connor Lynn Hilton invited friends over to his house.
- Inside the home, he shot two of them in the head; 18-year-old Ethan Riley later died in the hospital, while his friend (commonly identified as Ben or Brian/Benjamin Bliek) survived with severe, life-altering injuries including paralysis on one side.
- Another person was reportedly hiding in a bathroom and called 911 after hearing gunshots.
When police arrived, they found Hilton sitting outside the house, visibly distressed, and he indicated there were two injured teens inside.
Motive and disturbing details
- Court documents say Hilton told investigators he had “thought about, and wanted to commit, a homicide for a long time,” and there was no argument or provocation from the victims before the shooting.
- Days before his arrest, he reportedly posted disturbing content on Instagram that included lyrics about killing someone.
- A witness said they heard him walking past the bathroom afterward saying, “What have I done?”
These elements have driven a lot of online discussion about warning signs, mental health struggles, and access to firearms for teens.
Charges, plea, and sentence
- Initially, Hilton was charged with two counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, and his bond was set around 1 million dollars with conditions including GPS monitoring.
- After Ethan Riley died and more details emerged, one charge was upgraded to murder.
- Hilton was charged as an adult despite being 17 at the time of the shooting.
Later developments:
- By 2025, reports show that Connor Lynn Hilton pleaded guilty to his role in killing one friend and injuring the other.
- He accepted a 50-year prison sentence for the December 23, 2023 shooting, reflecting one count of murder and additional serious assault-related charges.
How forums and news are talking about it
You’ll see several themes in news coverage and forum discussions:
- Mental health and warning signs
- Many people point to his prior social media posts and reported long-term thoughts about committing homicide as deeply troubling warning signs.
* There is debate over whether systems—family, school, mental health services—could or should have intervened earlier.
- Guns and youth access
- Court documents and reports mention Hilton saying he talked his mother into buying him the gun, although his attorney disputes details about ownership.
* Online discussions often use this case to argue for stricter safeguards on firearms in homes with teenagers.
- Justice, accountability, and empathy
- Some commenters focus on the severity of the harm to the victims and their families and feel the long sentence is warranted or even lenient.
* Others emphasize Hilton’s age at the time and raise questions about brain development, rehabilitation, and whether extremely long sentences for teens allow for redemption.
Many forum comments stress that multiple families were destroyed in one night—those of the victims and the offender—and call it a tragedy with no real “winners.”
Key facts at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Friendswood, Texas, home on La Salle Street. | [7][9][3]
| Date of shooting | Night of December 23, 2023. | [9][3][7]
| Age of shooter | 17 at the time (charged as an adult). | [2][3][5][7]
| Victims | Ethan Riley (18) – died; Ben/Brian/Benjamin Bliek – survived but left paralyzed on one side and severely injured.[6][3][5][9] |
| Method | Both victims shot in the head with a handgun inside the home. | [1][3][5][7]
| Statements attributed to Hilton | Said he had thought about committing homicide for a long time; admitted to shooting the victims; reportedly said “What have I done?” afterward.[1][3][7][9] |
| Social media | Posted disturbing content/lyrics about killing someone days before charges were upgraded. | [2][6][7]
| Initial charges | Two counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. | [4][7][2]
| Upgraded charges | At least one count upgraded to murder after Ethan’s death. | [3][7][2]
| Outcome | Hilton later pleaded guilty and received a 50-year prison sentence. | [10][5][9]
Why this case is trending now
- Recent coverage and true-crime style writeups revisiting the case and Hilton’s sentencing have brought “Connor Hilton shooting” back into search and forum trends in 2026.
- The combination of a teenage offender, apparent premeditation, social media red flags, and a very long sentence makes it a continuing focal point in debates about youth violence, mental health, and gun responsibility.
Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.