BURLESON, Texas — The death of a 64-year-old woman who was caught in the crossfire of a shootout happened during a dispute between two groups of men doing a drug deal, police said Tuesday.
Six men have been arrested in the case, and they face an array of charges, including capital murder, selling drugs, engaging in organized crime and aggravated robbery.
The incident happened Friday evening near Wilshire Boulevard and Interstate 35W in Burleson.
Kathryn Bryan, a 64-year-old woman from Arlington, was identified as the victim. She was struck by a single gunshot while driving her car in the area.
The shootout stemmed from two groups of men – two from the city of Mission, in South Texas, and four from North Texas – meeting up for a drug deal in Burleson, police said in a news release.
Police said Gustavo Hernandez, 28, and Francisco Adrian Mejia, 24, both from Mission, were meeting with four men from North Texas: David Allen Devaney, Sr., 58, of Joshua; David Allen Devaney, Jr., 35, of Fort Worth; Clint Daniels Dunlap, 40, of Lake Worth; and David Matthew Dever, 36, of Granbury.
When they met near Alsbury Road and I-35W, a chase ensued, and the group of men from North Texas fired shots at Hernandez and Mejia, police said.
One of those shots struck Bryan, who was in her car and not involved in the chase, according to the news release.
Investigators learned that chase happened after Hernandez and Mejia paid for the drugs with counterfeit money, police said.
During the chase, Hernandez and Mejia abandoned their vehicle and jumped into the bed of a pickup truck at a stoplight on Wilshire Boulevard. The two were dropped off in the 800 block of North Burleson Boulevard, near the original spot where the drug deal happened, police said.
Mejia got shot in the leg during the incident and was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where he was later released.
As police investigated the shooting Friday night, they were able to identify the suspects' vehicles through surveillance video and witness accounts.
Devaney Sr. was arrested Saturday morning, when was seen leaving a hotel in the 1300 block of Jake Court in Fort Worth. Police then found Devaney Jr., who fled officers but was later arrested.
Dever and Dunlap were arrested in Benbrook on Saturday night.
Hernandez and Mejia were also taken into custody over the weekend.
Police said investigators interviewed dozens of witnesses and collected evidence from three different crime scenes in the area.
Hernandez and Mejia face charges of delivery of a controlled substance of more than 400 grams and forgery. Their bonds were set at a total of $450,000 each.
Devaney Sr., Devaney Jr., Dunlap and Dever each face charges of capital murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated robbery, police said. Their bonds were set at a total of $2.75 million each.
Police released a statement from the family of Bryan, who was survived by her husband, two adult sons, two grandchildren and her father and three brothers.
"She was a humble light of love in the world," her family's statement said. "All of her cherished family could tell you about a favorite meal she cooked for them. Be it through the family banana cake or a rib roast Christmas feast, her cooking emanated her care for the people she loved. The world deserved a bakery from her."
On Monday, her husband, Chuck Bryan, told WFAA that Kathryn was driving home from work when the shooting happened. She was two years from retirement and the couple was looking forward to traveling to as many national parks as possible in their RV, her husband said.