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Two dead, 14 injured in shooting at homecoming party in Texas

Ten people suffered gunshot wounds in a major shooting at a party near Greenville. Authorities have not found the shooter.

Two men were killed and 12 other people were injured Saturday night in a shooting at a homecoming party in Greenville, about 20 miles away from Texas A&M University-Commerce, according to the Hunt County Sheriff's Office. 

Fourteen people were physically injured by the shooting, authorities said.

Of those 14, there were 10 people who suffered gunshot wounds, Sheriff Randy Meeks said during a news conference Sunday morning. That number includes the two men who were fatally shot. 

One of the victims has been identified by family members as 23-year-old Kevin Berry, a father of two from Dallas.

RELATED: Who was Kevin Berry? Man killed at homecoming party in Greenville

The other victim was identified Monday as 23-year-old Byron Craven Jr., of Arlington. 

The shooting was reported just before midnight at The Party Venue near the 2300 block of U.S. 380 in Greenville, officials said. Greenville is about an hour northeast of Dallas.

Injured people were taken to hospitals in Greenville, Quinlan, Commerce, Plano and Rowlett. Three of those wounded are at Medical City Plano, authorities told WFAA. They are in critical condition. They were all flown from the shooting scene in Greenville to Plano.

Another wounded person was taken to Medical City Denton, and is in critical condition.

RELATED: 'I was scared for my life': Witnesses share what they saw during the Greenville party shooting

TAMUC confirmed Sunday that four of those injured are students at the university. Those four students have all been treated and released, TAMUC said. Counselors will be available for Texas A&M Commerce students Sunday, the university tweeted.

Four other people were injured by glass or other debris during the shooting. 

A vigil for Berry took place at 7 p.m. Sunday in St. Augustine Park in Dallas. That vigil ended with a shooting in the parking lot. Nobody was reported injured, but several vehicles were damaged by gunfire. WFAA's Matt Howerton and Matt McNew were at the vigil, and saw the shooting firsthand.

RELATED: Shots fired at Dallas vigil for Greenville shooting victim

Targeted shooting

On Sunday, authorities said that despite neary 750 people in attendance at the party, authorities said they had no leads on a suspect.

On Monday, Hunt County officials arrested 23-year-old Brandon Ray Gonzales on a capital murder charge of multiple persons. He is being held at the Hunt County jail with bond set at $1 million. 

At a news conference Monday announcing the arrest, Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks said they believe Gonzales acted alone and went to the party to target a specific individual.

RELATED: Man arrested on capital murder charge in Greenville shooting that left 2 dead, 12 injured

The night unfolded as follows:

A Hunt County deputy first arrived at the party around 11:40 p.m. in response to a large number of cars parked near the highway. A sergeant later followed him. Both were at the front of the venue at the time, along with a single off-duty Farmersville officer, Meeks said. 

RELATED: Timeline: Greenville party shooting

At 12:05 a.m., a deputy sent out a radio broadcast of shots fired, Meeks explained.

"The shooting came abruptly," said Hunt County Chief Deputy Buddy Oxford. 

Authorities were never able to lay eyes on the shooter, Meeks said.

Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks said officials currently believe the shooter came in the back door and targeted a single person before randomly opening fire into the crowd of approximately 750 people. He was not believed to be a partygoer. 

The number of people there and the "overcrowded-ness" nature of the event "gave the shooter the opportunity to accomplish whatever he wanted to accomplish," Meeks said. 

"We need to get him off the street as soon as possible," Meeks said of the shooter. He asked the public to share any tips or information they might have with the Hunt County Sheriff's Office. 

Authorities said at the news conference Sunday that they didn't believe the shooter poses a danger to the public because one of the victims was the intended target.

Officials at first believed a semi-automatic rifle was used in the shooting but have since clarified that a 9mm semi-automatic handgun was used.

Oxford told WFAA around 7:30 a.m. that there was some confusion at first because fake rifle rounds that were props for a Halloween party were found on the ground.

Oxford said there was a "big scramble" after the shooting. 

"It was complete chaos as people fled," Meeks said. 

At least one person was injured after jumping through a window. Meeks said people tried to escape out the front door "four abreast," despite it being a regularly-sized door, and others broke windows to get out. 

At 5 a.m. Sunday, Oxford said witnesses were not cooperating.

Meeks echoed that statement during a news conference, saying it "appalled" him that with that many people there no one was able to give a good description of the shooter. 

Authorities had questioned at least 20 witnesses. Meeks said they would normally at least have a description of the shooter in a situation with this many witnesses. 

There are no surveillance cameras at the party venue, Meeks added.

Anyone with any information who wishes to remain anonymous can call Hunt County Crime Stoppers at 903-457-2929.

Meeks said he believes the sergeant and deputy initially on-scene saved lives by quickly responding. The sergeant took someone with life-threatening injuries to the hospital in their own vehicle while the deputy treated people on-scene until EMS responders arrived. 

Hunt County officials said the Texas Rangers and Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting the investigation. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives also said via Twitter that it was assisting the sheriff's office Sunday. 

Authorities could be seen searching the grounds outside the venue early Sunday morning among a number of abandoned cars.

Not a mass shooting?

Despite the number of people harmed, authorities said they don't consider the incident to be a mass shooting. Typically, a shooting is considered to be a mass shooting when four or more people are shot. 

However, multiple people Sunday thought the incident qualified as a mass shooting, including Dallas Police Sgt. and chapter president of the National Black Police Association Sheldon Smith, who says that the definition of mass shooting needs to change.

RELATED: Why didn't authorities refer to Greenville incident as a 'mass shooting'?

Harrowing eyewitness accounts

University officials said the event was not a sanctioned homecoming party, but Hunt County Sheriff's Office officials said the party appeared to be related to the school's homecoming weekend. 

Authorities initially said the party might have been connected to a fraternity but later clarified it was hosted by a group out of Commerce called the Goodfellows. That group does count some students as its members, Sheriff Meeks said. 

About 90 percent of those at the party are believed to be in their late teens and early 20s, Meeks said. 

RELATED: 'I was scared for my life': Witnesses share what they saw during the Greenville party shooting

A number of attendees spoke after the shooting, describing the chaos inside the venue after shots rang out.

Markeice Ford told WFAA he heard six to seven gunshots, realized there was a shooting, and hit the floor.

Another attendee, Markenya Shepherd, said she was scared for her life during the shooting.

Ashley Johnson described her escape from the venue, saying thank you to a man who helped her and others get out of the kitchen window after it was broken open. 

News of the shooting spread online after midnight, with many sharing a video they claimed showed the aftermath.

Also on WFAA:

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