Tomball HS retires baseball jersey of 18-year-old killed among 4 family members by escaped prisoner

TOMBALL, Texas (KTRK) -- The baseball jersey of Waylon Collins, one of five family members killed by an escaped prisoner in 2022, was retired Friday at Tomball High School to honor the victim.

The 18-year-old had just graduated a few days before the murder. He was described as a charismatic, baseball-loving leader and was idolized by his younger brothers and cousins.

His brothers, 16-year-old Carson Collins and 11-year-old Hudson Collins were killed, along with their cousin, 11-year-old Bryson Collins, and grandfather, 66-year-old Mark Collins.

Carson was also a student-athlete at the school. He was a junior in the Tomball football program and was described as a man among boys, tender-hearted and loved his sport.

Carson Collins' absence in the midst of Tomball High School's playoff run looms large several months after the violent end to his life.

The school retired Waylon's No. 8 jersey on their baseball field as part of "Collins Night."

Gonzalo Lopez, the inmate who escaped from a prison transport bus in May, is believed to have killed the family.

Lopez allegedly broke into the family's Centerville home after slipping past an intense three-week search by law enforcement and murdered all five victims.

The family's bodies were discovered after a concerned family member called the police for a welfare check.

After the Collins family murders, investigators tracked Lopez down before a short chase ensued and he was killed in a shootout by police.

Saturday's service was filled with tears but also laughter as the community remembered a grandfather and four boys who lit up their world.