2 gunmen arrested after stray bullet hits Texas A&M baseball player during game
Authorities believe the athlete was struck by a stray bullet fired from about 400 yards away
TEXARKANA, Texas (KSLA) — The second wanted suspect has turned himself in connection with a college athlete being struck by a stray bullet during a game at Spring Lake Park.
On Tuesday, May 2, Kamauri Butler, 17, turned himself in to police.
And authorities say the gunfire Saturday (April 29) occurred in front of a house about 400 yards from the park.
“Our detectives are working extra hard on this case and have spent a lot of time and effort,” said Shawn Vaughn with the Texarkana Texas Police Department (TTPD).
A spokesperson with the university identified the player shot as Matthew Delany, 18; he’s from the Dallas area. Police say Delany was in the pitcher’s bull pen when he suddenly collapsed.
“We arrived here and found he had been shot in the chest once,” Vaughn said.
Butler is facing a charge of aggravated assault, and Demarco Banks, 20, is charged with deadly conduct. “We believe that they are the shooters in this incident,” says a post on the Police Department’s Facebook page.
Banks turned himself in overnight after the incident and was booked into the Bi-State Jail. Butler turned himself in Tuesday.
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Detectives and crime scene investigators found several spent shell casings in the front yard of a residence on Lynda Street in Spring Lake Park and determined that the incident started as a disturbance there that led to two men shooting at each other in front of the house.
“You got two people in a neighborhood that are acting stupid, shooting at each other, and the person that paid the price for it is a young man over here trying to play a ball game for the university,” Vaughn said.
Butler and Banks both ran away from the area before police arrived. Officers, however, arrested three other men who were there after detectives obtained a search warrant for the house and several vehicles at the scene.
Arrested were Yankeengea Smith, 49, on two counts of possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine and ecstasy pills) and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; Nathan Moore, 19, on one count each of tampering with evidence and possession of marijuana; and, Marcell Beaver, 19, on one count of possession of marijuana.
“After further investigation, and a review of the circumstances of this event, it is truly unbelievable that the bullet traveled at such a trajectory at over 400 yards, through trees, and across a street to strike the student,” said Texarkana Texas Police Chief Kevin Schutte.
“On a positive note, we’re told that the victim is in stable condition at the hospital today,” the Police Department’s Facebook post states. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to him, his family and his teammates.”
A university spokesperson says they’re providing round-the-clock counseling for players on the baseball team and any others students in need of help. Police say Delany is in stable condition at a Texarkana hospital.
“While this weekend was difficult for our community, it highlighted the strength of our first responders and everyone involved. Our commitment to a safe atmosphere for residents and visitors remains a top priority,” said Texarkana Texas City Manager David Orr.
Authorities urge anyone with any information about the incident to call police at 903-798-3876 or Texarkana Area Crime Stoppers at 903-793-STOP.
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