Two people were killed — one of them a retired U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent — and several others were wounded when a gunman opened fire at a casino in Eagle Pass, Texas, just after midnight Sunday, authorities said.
San Antonio resident Keryan Jones, 34, was arrested hours later in Stockdale, 180 miles east of the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, after several law enforcement agencies joined in the hunt, KSAT-TV reported. He was charged with two counts of capital murder and five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Police Department will extradite Jones to the reservation, the Eagle Pass Police Department said.
Local officials identified the two killed as retired CBP agent Marcus Antley and Dimmit County resident Alicia Sanchez. Five wounded were airlifted to San Antonio hospitals in critical condition, KATV-TV reported.
The gunfire broke during a crowded raffle event at the casino, KATV reported, but it was not clear what set it off. The suspect fled and made it halfway across the state to Stockdale, where Texas Department of Public Safety troopers caught up with him after tracking his license plate and tried to pull him over, authorities said. He resisted and kept running, until cops were finally able to stop his vehicle. Even then, they had to deploy a taser, police said.
“We are heartbroken about the violence that occurred at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino,” the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas said in a statement obtained by KATV.
“I want to express my deep gratitude to all of our coordinated law enforcement agencies for their swift action and tireless commitment,” Maverick County Judge Ramsey English Cantú said in a statement on Facebook. “Together, our local, state, and federal partners worked around the clock to bring this individual into custody. Now, we must assure justice for the victims and their families. Our prayers remain with them during this difficult time.”
Cantú added, “Let me be clear: we will not tolerate violence in our community. We remain committed to ensuring the safety of all our residents and visitors alike and will continue to stand united to protect Maverick County.”
