Police have arrested a teen in connection with the shooting death of a high school student in Royse City last week.
On August 30, at about 11 p.m., police and paramedics were dispatched to a home on County Road 2597 in response to an accidental shooting call. The gunshot victim, identified as Alexander Villegas, 18, was conscious and alert when the first responders arrived. He told police that he had been handling the gun when it accidentally went off, striking him in the abdomen.
Villegas was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his wounds.
However, investigators following up on the incident determined through physical evidence and witness interviews that another person had been handling the gun that shot Villegas. Police believe the shooting was accidental.
Royse City police announced on Friday that they have detained a 16-year-old in connection with the shooting death, but they have not released his name to the public because the suspect is a minor. The teen has been charged with criminally negligent homicide, which is a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
No further details were given about the suspect or his or her relationship with the victim.
Villegas will be laid to rest on Friday, September 7, at Rest Haven Memorial Park in Rockwall, following a funeral service at Iglesia Bautista Hispana Ridgecrest in Greenville at noon.
In his obituary, Villegas’ family described him as “the epitome of selflessness, always putting others before himself, and his loving nature was felt by everyone he met.”
In neighboring Dallas, 20 incidents of negligent manslaughter have been reported so far this year, a 122% increase over the previous year, according to the City of Dallas Crime Analytics dashboard.
The Dallas Police Department, which has consistently struggled with a shortage of police officers, is also working with a budget this fiscal year that is well below that of other high-crime cities such as Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. These factors have contributed to high rates of crime in the city and slow police response times.