
A Texas family is in mourning after a double tragedy. A father died while trying to help one of his sons after an accidental shooting. Sadly, the shooter was the man’s other son. As the dad attempted to save his son, he lost his own life due to an unexplained medical episode. The whole situation was unexpected.
Now, the younger boy will go through life without his father and brother. Although the community came together to pay tribute to the beloved father, there are still questions without answers.
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The incident occurred in the middle of the night.
Police in Texas City, Texas, were called to a home shortly after 1:15 a.m. on Monday, reported KPRC-TV. The police chief shared that an unidentified 15-year-old boy accidentally shot his 17-year-old brother. After the father witnessed the shooting, he rushed to the aid of his older son. While he was giving his son lifesaving measures, the man seemingly suffered a medical episode and died.
The Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office identified those who died as Joshua Gonzales and Jay Gonzales.
Currently, it is still being decided what to do with the younger boy.
Later, detectives interviewed the 15-year-old boy about the incident. After questioning, police released him to his mother. Investigators turned the case over to the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office to decide if charges are appropriate.
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Joshua Gonzales' school released a statement about his death.
The Texas City Independent School District confirmed that Joshua Gonzales was a student, sharing a statement about his death with KHOU.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students, and our thoughts are with the family and all those who cared for them during this difficult time,” the statement read. “The well-being of our students and staff is our top priority, and we have made counselors available to provide support to anyone who needs help processing their grief. Together, we will work to support our school community as we navigate this loss.”
Jay Gonzales was a beloved member of his community.
Gonzales was a tattoo artist who worked at Artistic Image Tattoos. His co-workers spoke with KHOU about the loss.
“Most of all, besides just a tattoo artist and a business partner, he was a human being and he was a damn good one,” business partner Melo Salazar said of the father. “He did everything for the community — fundraisers, school drives. Man, he went the extra mile if he could, man.”
From Salazar's comments, it seems Jay Gonzales strived to make a difference when he could.
“Anybody that knew him, I don’t have to say that if they knew him, they loved him — he’ll give the shirt off his back,” Salazar said.
And as for the teen shooter? Salazar doesn’t believe that the boy should be punished. “I don’t think he deserves any charges — he’s already having to go through a lot and he has to live with that the rest of his life,” he said.