Bobby Francois, 42, of Port Arthur, Texas, was shot at the Prince Hall Village Apartments on March 17, 2025, and later died after being taken to a hospital in Galveston. Francois’s family described him as a devoted father and grandparent, and they say they were devastated that he was killed in his own residential complex.

The shooting involved an off-duty security guard employed at the complex, Najel Ray Hopkins, 28. Hopkins pulled a firearm and shot Francois at least twice in the lower body. Authorities transported Francois to a local hospital before he was airlifted to Galveston, where he succumbed to his injuries. Hopkins was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is being held in the Jefferson County jail on $200,000 bond; the charge carries a possible prison term of two to twenty years and a fine up to $10,000.

The community has expressed support for the grieving family as investigators continue to probe the circumstances. If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about what happened at Prince Hall Village Apartments on March 17, please come forward.