On November 28, 2023, 61-year-old Christy Burns was found with a single gunshot wound to the chest at a residence on Hilltop Drive in Kerrville, Texas. Deputies responded to a 911 call and she was taken to Peterson Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office investigated the scene and arrested Christy’s sister, 63-year-old Carrie Burns, who was present at the residence. Carrie Burns was charged with murder and booked into the Kerr County Jail. Authorities have said the motive is unclear and have released no further details about what led to the shooting.

Christy Burns retired in 2020 after 28 years as a Professor of English and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at the College of William & Mary; her death has shocked both her Kerrville community and academic colleagues. If anyone has information about the events at the Hilltop Drive residence on November 28, 2023, please come forward.