Connor Hilton: Texas teen who 'wanted to commit homicide' shoots two friends in the head as terrified onlooker calls 911

Connor Hilton is facing murder charges following a deadly shooting in Friendswood
UPDATED DEC 29, 2023
Connor Hilton, 17, is charged with murder, accused of killing his 18-year-old friend and injuring a 19-year-old (Galveston County Sheriffs Office)
Connor Hilton, 17, is charged with murder, accused of killing his 18-year-old friend and injuring a 19-year-old (Galveston County Sheriffs Office)

Warning: This content contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion is advised.

FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS: A Texas teen was charged with one count of murder and two counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily harm after shooting two teenage boys on December 23.

Connor Hilton, 17, allegedly said that “he had thought about and wanted to commit a homicide for a long time.”

Ethan Riley, 18, was shot on December 23 at the suburban Friendswood, Texas, home of Hilton who was charged with murder this week.

Riley's 19-year-old companion Benjamin Bliek who went with him to Hilton's house that evening was also shot, but he made it out alive. He remains in critical condition at the hospital.

Even though he was not named by the police initially, his identity was confirmed in a statement of probable cause, Law&Crime reports.

Witness heard two gunshots and called 911

Police said the killing seemed completely senseless. According to court documents, police claim that someone who saw the shooting called them on December 23 for the first time.

The unidentified individual claimed to have heard two gunshots inside the Friendswood house and to have called the police while locking themselves in the bathroom.

According to the police, this witness would also report that, following the shooting, they heard Hilton sobbing and yelling, "What have I done?" as he passed the locked bathroom door, Inside Edition reported.

When police arrived on the scene, they reported seeing Hilton outside the house looking "visibly distraught."

When they inquired as to whether anyone had been harmed, Hilton indicated there were two teenagers inside the house that "he believed to be deceased" with two fingers, nodding, and a gesture.

This information is documented in the probable cause affidavit. Riley was found lying on the ground in his T-shirt and shorts, "with a gathering of blood under the subject’s head," according to the police report, which described the horrific scene.

Meanwhile, Bliek was sprawled out on the ground not far from Riley.

Both victims were shot in the head. Not far away was a revolver with a gray finish and a teal handle. Police were later told by Hilton that he "talked his mother into" getting it for him.

Connor Hilton confesses to fatal shootings

Police claim that after Riley and Bliek were taken to nearby hospitals, they brought Hilton in for an interview and to have a swab of his hands for gun residue.

According to the police, they "observed Hilton confess to shooting Bliek and Riley" during the entire session.

When Hilton began flashing his gun, he allegedly told the police that his friends had dropped by and that they were "all in the main area of the residence."

Friendswood Police reported that “Hilton stated that there was no disturbance between him and the other subjects to include any disagreement on the date of this incident.”

It further added, "Hilton advised affiant that he decided to shoot Riley, Bliek and [redacted] once inside the residence.” Riley was shot in the left side of the head by the 17-year-old after he allegedly "stood up, raised the gun, and shot Riley first."

The probable cause affidavit reads, "Hilton then stated that he then turned to his right and shot Bliek in the left side of the head," as per Law&Crime.

Additionally, Hilton made it clear to his arresting officer that he saw Bliek raise his hands in self-defense at the moment he pulled the trigger.

What are the charges against Connor Hilton?

Authorities said that Hilton acknowledged his actions and said he should be held responsible.

Only two counts of aggravated assault with bodily injury were brought against him when he was first taken into custody by police in the early hours of December 24.

He was placed under arrest and given a $1 million bond at the Galveston County Jail.

By noon, Hilton had shared it. After Riley's death, District Attorney Jack Roady approved an upgraded murder charge, and by Christmas night, he was back in custody.

Notably, GPS monitoring was not originally part of the bond conditions set for the 17-year-old, but it is now, based on court documents that Law&Crime was able to obtain from Roady's office.

When asked how much the new bond for Hilton might be, Roady did not respond right away. 

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