Witness identifies suspect as Texas party hall gunman, affidavit states

GREENVILLE, Texas >> A confidential informant claimed to witness the suspect open fire at an off-campus college Halloween party in Texas, killing two people and injuring a dozen more, according to an arrest affidavit.

In the three-page statement, Texas Ranger Laura Simmons says the person contacted the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office with eyewitness information. Then, through an attorney, the witness identified Brandon Ray Gonzales, 23, of Greenville, Texas, as the gunman through the suspect’s Facebook profile and from photos of the suspect shown by investigators.

The witness reported seeing Gonzales late Saturday in line to enter The Party Venue, just outside Greenville. The witness later saw him with a large group playing dice in a restroom, then saw him leave the restroom, pull a handgun from his waist and begin shooting.

The witness was questioned closely to establish that person’s credibility and reported hearing eight gunshots, Simmons said.

The shooting took place at a Halloween and homecoming party for Texas A&M University-Commerce, although officials said it was not a school-sanctioned event. Investigators identified the two 23-year-old men killed as Kevin Berry Jr. of Dallas and Byron Craven of Arlington.

Gonzales was arrested Monday and jailed on a capital murder charge. Bond is set at $1 million. In a television interview Monday, Gonzales maintained he is innocent.