Centerville murders: 5 family members killed by escapee

We now know the identities of the five

family

members

murdered by an escaped inmate. He was a man and his four grandchildren who had just arrived at the

family

home in Centerville yesterday. Jason Miles is live at Tomball High School tonight where they tell us all the kids were students at tomball isd jason that's right guys the family lived here in the tomball area their ranch or a little getaway from vacation was in leon county near

centerville

this parking lot behind tomball high school started filling up just before five o'clock many from the community and mostly students coming to gather and grieve together and, As you mentioned, we are going to see the five victims for the first time.

Look at the photos, one of them, 18-year-old Waylon Collins, a well-known athlete here. at Tomball High School was

killed

, the family says that along with Whalen's brother Carson, age sixteen, and brother Hudson, age eleven, his cousin Bryson, age eleven, was also

killed

along with Whalen's grandfather. the four children, Mark, 66 years old. Collins Crime Stoppers of Houston hosted a press conference at an area church recently with the Collins family and a long-time pastor and also a friend. Here's a little bit of what was said a few minutes ago. Those kids were shining stars. We trained them through baseball and these next few days are going to be difficult for all of us.

This is absolutely one of the most heartbreaking scenarios I have ever dealt with and I have seen a lot and been through a lot and I can't imagine what this family is going through, no one can imagine what this family is going through, can you imagine the mother and to the father of the three collins brothers, those three brothers, his only children? I stopped by the family's house earlier, that's also where the family's pastor spent many hours over the past few days or at least since last night, he says this is a family of deep faith and faith will get them through what for so many people it is so unimaginable reporting live from tomball jason miles khou 11 news a story I have been following for several weeks turned out in the worst possible way jason thank you today balloons were placed on the fence of the property where the family was killed let's live now marcelino benito as investigators returned to the property today marcelino Well, so it's true, this small town has been living in fear for the last three weeks as this chase unfolded and today they are absolutely horrified and stunned at how it ended.

The Leon County Sheriff's Office tells us that yesterday afternoon they found the bodies of those five family

members

inside a home on this ranch near Centerville now this ranch is located off Highway 7. Actually, It is located just a half mile from where Gonzalo López first escaped from the prison bus last month. Investigators say Lopez broke into the home at some point. On Thursday he gained access to several firearms, assaulted a 66-year-old grandfather, his 18-year-old grandson and then those other three younger grandchildren. After those

murders

, he took his white van onto the property hours later and was seen. south of San Antonio and after a short police chase was killed in a shootout with police in Centerville.

The relief of the chase is over, but the mourning for these five family members, neighbors and strangers has been going on outside the ranch. to leave flowers, balloons and bears to pay their respects and honors. The victims, this has been crazy, especially having two children of your own. It's been terrifying. We moved to the countryside for safety so we wouldn't have a murderer who killed five people. It will be felt throughout the community. Now there are still many. of unanswered questions about how lópez managed to avoid a major search effort for three weeks when he was just half a mile from where he originally escaped tdcj says they will conduct a thorough review of their protocols to find out how exactly lópez escaped in the first place, the leon county sheriff's office tells us this is an ongoing investigation and they are being assisted by dps as soon as we get more information we will pass it on to you guys marcelino thank you.