Man arrested in Texas shooting that left 2 dead, 12 hurt
GREENVILLE, Texas – A man suspected of opening fire at an off-campus college party in Texas, killing two people and injuring 12 others, was arrested Monday.
Brandon Ray Gonzales, 23, of Greenville, Texas, was arrested less than 48 hours after the shooting at the auto dealership where he worked, Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks said. Gonzales was booked into the Hunt County jail on a charge of capital murder of multiple persons, and bond was set at $1 million.
The shooting happened around midnight Saturday outside Greenville, 15 miles southwest of a satellite campus of the Texas A&M University System. Authorities believe the shooter may have been targeting just one person at the party of about 750 people outside Greenville, 15 miles southwest of a satellite campus of the Texas A&M University System, and that others may have been shot at random, Meeks has said.
Kevin Berry Jr., 23, of Dallas and Byron Craven Jr., 23, of Arlington were killed, authorities said.
The shooting took place at what Meeks has described as a Halloween and homecoming party for Texas A&M University-Commerce, though officials said it was not a school-sanctioned event. The party was held at a facility called The Party Venue, Meeks said. The venue sits along a highway in a rural area some 2.5 miles from the Greenville city limits.
Authorities believe the shooter entered the venue through the back door and began firing with a handgun, Meeks said. He described “complete chaos” after the shots rang out, with hundreds of people fleeing, including the gunman.
Of the 12 people injured, six were shot and six were trampled or hurt by glass, authorities said. As of Monday, five remained hospitalized, one in critical condition and four in good condition, Meeks said.
The shooting came as Texas A&M University-Commerce, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas, celebrated homecoming weekend. According to its website, it is the second-largest university in the Texas A&M University System.
After a vigil for Berry on Sunday night at a Dallas park, at least one person opened fire. Dallas police said no one was injured but several vehicles were reported.