Waco, TX — A woman was fatally shot during a violent shootout between two men outside the Best Western Plus hotel in Killeen on Thursday, January 2, 2025. The Killeen Police Department identified the victim as 28-year-old Jazmien Rae’Lynn Hernandez.
According to police, the incident occurred at approximately 1:18 p.m. when officers were dispatched to the hotel, located at 2709 Cunningham Road, after multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire in the area. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found Hernandez and a 34-year-old male victim, both suffering from gunshot wounds. Police immediately began administering life-saving measures to both individuals until paramedics arrived.
Hernandez, however, succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Cliff Coleman at 3:05 p.m. The 34-year-old male victim was airlifted to Baylor Scott & White hospital, where he was reported to be “conscious and alert” following the incident.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the altercation began with a verbal exchange between the 34-year-old male victim and a 32-year-old male suspect outside the hotel. During the confrontation, both men fired their weapons, injuring each other and Hernandez.
Witnesses reported seeing the 32-year-old suspect flee the scene on foot, heading south. Shortly afterward, authorities were notified that a man matching the suspect’s description had arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds. Police were able to confirm that this individual was indeed the suspect who had fled from the scene.
Both the male victim and the male suspect are currently listed in stable condition at the hospital. Their identities have not been released by the police.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to piece together further details surrounding the tragic events that led to Hernandez’s death.
