Baytown Felon Arrested After Homes Struck by Gunfire in Chambers County Neighborhoods

The Chambers County Sheriff’s Office executed a search and arrest warrant on Friday, June 13, 2025, at the residence of Jesse Ray Killian, a 44-year-old convicted felon, located in the 13900 block of South River Drive within Baytown’s River Farms subdivision. Killian was arrested without incident in connection with a December 2024 shooting incident where multiple homes were struck by gunfire.

The investigation began on December 26, 2024, at approximately 11:13 PM, when deputies responded to reports of gunshots in the River Farms subdivision. Over the following hours and into the next day, calls continued to come in from residents in River Farms and nearby neighborhoods, including Raintree and Cotton Creek, with some reporting that their homes had been struck. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Projectiles collected from the damaged homes indicated the use of a .223 caliber rifle. Deputies also located twenty-seven .223 shell casings near a retention pond in the 13900 block of South River Drive.

Following months of investigation, Killian was indicted by the Chambers County District Attorney’s Office for two counts of Deadly Conduct – Discharge of a Firearm at or in the Direction of a Habitation, which is a third-degree felony.

As a result of the search warrant executed today, two .223 caliber rifles and matching ammunition were recovered from Killian’s residence.

Sheriff Brian Hawthorne commented on the incident, stating, “This incident highlights the serious danger of discharging a firearm in a reckless and dangerous manner. We are grateful that no one was physically harmed, but the potential for tragedy was very real. I want to thank our deputies and investigators for their thorough and persistent work in bringing this case to a resolution.”

The investigation remains ongoing.