- Former Guardsman charged with capital murder after casino shooting
- Multiagency manhunt ends with suspect’s dramatic roadside capture
- Authorities confirm two victims dead, five critically injured
The suspect in a shooting that left two people dead and five more in a critical condition at the Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, Texas, Saturday night has been named as Keryan Jones of San Antonio.
Jones was arrested by Texas Troopers in Wilson County hours after he opened fire inside the casino on the Texas-Mexico border. The venue was especially busy that night because it was holding a promotional raffle for a Mercedes-Benz E350 along with numerous cash prizes.
Local reporting suggests Jones is a former National Guardsman who was previously stationed in Arizona and may have gone absent without leave.
The 34-year-old has been charged with two counts of capital murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon, according to a statement from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.
Multiagency Manhunt
Maverick County deputies were initially called to the casino at around 11.45 p.m. to assist tribal police following reports of an active shooter. The gunfire sent crowds scrambling for cover, with witnesses describing chaos as people hid under tables and rushed toward exits, according to People magazine.
The suspect fled the scene in a black Nissan Frontier pickup, sparking a multiagency manhunt, according to the Maverick County law enforcement. Authorities used license plate readers to trace the vehicle as it moved east from Eagle Pass toward Wilson County, outside San Antonio.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to stop Jones near a Circle K in Stockdale, about 90 miles from the casino. When Jones refused to pull over, troopers fired at his vehicle, partially disabling it, officials said. Jones continued to flee until officers executed a precision immobilization maneuver. The suspect was subdued with a Taser and taken into custody.
Ex-Border Guard Killed
Among the dead was Marcus “Mark” Antley, a retired U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer remembered as a longtime public servant, the San Antonio Express-News reported. Authorities have not yet released the name of the second victim.
The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, which owns the casino, issued a statement saying it was “heartbroken by the violence.” As of Sunday, the venue remained closed as the investigation continues.
The motive for the attack remains unclear. Investigators executed a search warrant on Jones’s apartment in San Antonio on Sunday, with FBI agents assisting state police, according to the Express-News.
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