Greenville shooting suspect released

Image
  • Brandon Ray Gonzales
    Brandon Ray Gonzales
Subhead

Lack of evidence, witness cooperation cited

Body

| Crime

Brandon Ray Gonzales, 23, who was arrested Oct. 28 on charges of capital murder of multiple persons in the Oct. 26 shooting at The Party Venue in Greenville, was released from jail Tuesday, the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office announced.

Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks requested of the Hunt County District Attorney’s Office that no action be taken against Gonzales due to a lack of necessary evidence and cooperation from witnesses.

A celebration was underway with approximately 750 people in attendance. Although some wore costumes and some were celebrating the homecoming win of Texas A&M-Commerce, it was neither a Halloween party nor an official TAMUC party, according to Hunt County Sheriff ’s Office public information officer Sergeant Jeff Haines.

Chief Deputy Buddy Oxford stated that deputies already on-scene for a report of a traffic hazard heard gunshots coming from the back of the building but did not know if they were inside or outside of the building. Haines stated that during the time of the shooting, only the front and back doors were used on the building, and that a large garage door remained closed.

“It was mass chaos with people trying to exit the building … Some of the injuries were from broken glass. They were breaking the glass of the window trying to get out of the building,” Meeks said.

Hunt Co. Sheriff's Office confirmed the identities of the shooting victims as Kevin Barry Jr., 23, of Dallas and Byron Cravens, 23, of Arlington.

Gonzales was arrested two days later and held on $1 million bond.

"When I heard people come through, as I was in my cell, like, 'Hey, that's the shooter; that's the shooter.’ It killed me because that's not my image," Gonzales said Tuesday night. "That's not who I am. That's not who I've ever been, and it messed me up."

Andrew W. Wilkerson, one of Gonzales’ attorneys, stated a civil suit would be filed against the Hunt County Sheriff ’s Office.

Gonzales had been arrested on a probable cause affidavit. Witnesses had told investigators that they had seen Gonzales in a restroom at The Party Venue and, after leaving the restroom, pulled a gun from his waistband and began shooting.

However, other witnesses claimed to have seen Gonzales in a parked car in the parking lot of The Party Venue at the time the shooting began.

After Brandon Gonzales’ arrest, his brother, Gabriel Gonzales said from the parking lot of the Hunt County Jail, “"Who is he? He's not that person they're making him out to be. That's not him. I know my brother. It's not him."

Gonzales, after his release Tuesday, read a statement that night which he had written while in jail and reported by NBC Dallas:

“Lord I know you've put me through many tests and obstacles in my life and I have overcame (sic) and achieved all, so I will do the same with this test. And I will come out and do the right things, as I was. Lord, everything in my life was falling into place. Now I feel like I have been pushed down a cliff, but I know you, Lord. You will throw me a rope to help me back on the cliff. Lord, as I am under this cliff, I ask you to guide my family and friends into the right directions to help us overcome this darkness. Lord, I am your child and I did no such thing, as they are trying to ruin my image on the outside, but even then, while I'm here, I will remain the same kind, humble and loving person because I know I'm coming home.”

No other arrests have been made as of press time Wednesday afternoon.

"The killer is still out there," Wilkerson said. "I think that the sheriff's office thought that they silenced the community with an arrest of whoever they could possibly arrest. What's ironic is, once they find out who the real killer is, it'll prove our case."

The Hunt County Sheriff's Office asked anyone who was at the Party Venue Oct. 26 or has information in relation to the shooting to contact them at 903-408-6800 or Hunt County Crime Stoppers at 903-457-2929 to report anonymously.

— News-Telegram reporter Taylor Nye contributed to this report.