By: Ruth Ferguson, NDG Editor
The Hunt County Sheriff’s office has confirmed the arrest of Brandon Ray Gonzalez for the murder of two men at the Greenville party attended by Texas A&M Commerce students and more on Saturday night.
Gonzalez, a native of Greenville, who is 23-years-old, is facing capital murder charges in the deaths of Kevin Berry and Bryon Cravens, Jr., each of the victims was also 23-years-old. Twelve others suffered injuries, including six who were shot. One victim remains in critical condition, and three others are hospitalized but in good condition.
Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks described the horrific scene his officers encountered when they arrived on the scene Saturday night during his press conference. He thanked his officers for his professionalism, Governor Gregg Abbot, for reaching out personally and other law enforcement agencies that offered their assistance.
They do not know Gonzalez’s possible motive, yet, his cooperation with the police so far is limited. According to the sheriff, once one individual shared information, others begin to provide details which over 18 hours helped authorities to identify Gonzalez. He works for a local auto dealership; he was arrested at work Monday morning. Other than a minor traffic violation earlier this summer, he does not have a criminal record with the county.
“We finally got one tip, which led to another, which led to another, which led to the shooter,” Meeks stated. Evidence connects him to one of the victims, but the sheriff was not willing to disclose at this time. They have not recovered the weapon yet. Reportedly, Gonzalez does not have an attorney.
Although the suspect has not confirmed this, the sheriff continues to believe the first victim was the intended target and randomly shot the others. They also believe Gonzalez acted alone and that the shooting Dallas at the vigil in honor of Kevin Berry was not related to this matter.
Gonzalez’s bond is set for $1 million.
