An Uvalde standoff concluded with the deaths of four people and a dog. According to an Uvalde County Sheriff deputy, a teenage boy apparently killed his mother, two neighbors, and later took his life – the story has sparked an intense debate on Texas’ open carry law.
An Uvalde standoff, which happened on Friday and Saturday, ended with the shocking deaths of four people living in the same area – including a mother, her beloved dog, and her killer son. Texas police said on Friday at around 4 p.m. they were called to a mobile home in Uvalde, which is about 86 miles west of San Antonio.
The man, who made the 911 call, told police that Dylan Westerburg, 19, shot and killed his friend, 58-year-old Arthur Jerome Norton, who lived in a mobile home nearby. The man told Uvalde County Sheriff Charles Mendeke that Westerburg fled Norton’s home after committing the murder.
Authorities found the teenager hiding in his home, and he refused to turn himself in – which led to a lengthy standoff that ended at around 1 p.m. Saturday. While the police and a SWAT team were outside of the home trying to get the teen to surrender, he committed suicide.
During the 19-hour standoff, several officers worked to evacuate nearby homes, and while searching one residence, they discovered the body of Westerburg’s 42-year-old mother, Jennifer Diane Jacques. Jacques had sustained a single gunshot wound and was found on the floor next to her dog, which had been shot to death.
When the police entered Norton’s home they found two bodies – Norton and his 60-year-old brother, Phinny Paul Norton. A possible motive for the killings remains under investigation, according to an Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office deputy, who added that officers were shot at during the 19-hour standoff. The deputy stated:
“It’s a mess in there right now. Uvalde County Sheriff’s had responded to reports of shots fired at the trailer park. After police arrived, the suspects opened fire on responding officers — none of whom were hurt, fortunately.”
Carolyn Scott, who lives in the neighborhood, said:
“It started yesterday. When I tried to go home last night, they made me go back to town. I’ve not known of any law being called out to that house. I’ve lived out there 20 years, and they’ve lived out there as long as me.”
A family member added:
“I can tell you it was my sister’s grandson. I heard that he either witnessed what happened or that he was the shooter, and that he was shot and killed. It began yesterday afternoon when people saw all the law coming in here. It ended today about 12:30 p.m. This is the country. It’s quiet out here,”
The story has many talking about some Texans’ desire to secede, the state’s controversial open carry law, and the drug cartel. One commenter stated:
“There was no media allowed near the scene for more than a day, I wonder what happened, this is not good for the people not be able to see what is going on, with the way things are these days the police cannot be allowed to operate secretly.”
Another one added:
“Uvalde has become a hub for many “illegal” activities and Texas is the wild west, everyone has a gun and every gun has its own gun. and sometimes the good guy becomes a bad guy who pulls out a gun.”
One proponent of gun control said:
“Open carry did a lot for them didn’t it …”
Another Texas critic added:
“Texans idiots are going back to the old west ,pistle packers will just shoot eachother – they will bring back slavery soon- Texas, Mississippi, Alabama need to leave the union. I will join the Texas secession movement to get it done.”
this is just medias blowing things up and blaming what is easy guns dont kill ppl do
a man or women brakes in to your house what do u do if you do or dont own a gun you call some one who dose have a gun and pray they get there in time i bet if this was done with a knife or a car this would not have been blow up blame what and who but if a person has the thought and anger or what ever the reason will do what they are going to do like no one can help some one but that person but we for get that dont we