Lubbock Man Sentenced For Murder Of 18-Year-Old At House Party

A Lubbock man has been sentenced for the murder of a teen. The Lubbock Police Department was dispatched back on July 4, 2017 to a home in the 2000 block of 48th Street. At the home is where a house party was held before shots were fired causing everyone to flee from the residence.

When police entered the home they discovered the body of 18-year-old Ezekial Gonzales who was laying on the ground covered in towels and blood. KAMC news reports that police stated Gonzales suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to University Medical Center where he did succumb to his injuries.

A massive city-wide manhunt was eventually issued after investigators were able to determine that 22-year-old Christopher Hernandez-Constancio, 16-years-old at the time, was the shooter. Police eventually were able to locate Hernandez-Constancio who was being hidden by his father from law enforcement.

A candlelight vigil was held outside the home where Gonzales was shot and was actually not authorized for the second night by the home renter that threw the party. The vigil was then moved across the street to a neighbors front lawn before police were able to arrive at the scene and intervene. The renter that threw the party had to be escorted by police to a private location for his safety.

Christopher Hernandez-Constancio was on trial and on January 10 pleaded guilty to the murder of 18-year-old Ezekial Gonzales. Hernandez-Constancio was sentenced to 25 years in prison but will receive 2,132 days of credit for time already spent in jail.