A Texas teenager has died after his younger brother accidentally shot him – and their father keeled over moments later while trying to save his dying son.
The horror double-tragedy unfolded at their home in Texas City, just outside Houston in the early hours of Monday morning.
Texas City Police said the 15-year-old boy accidentally shot his 17-year-old brother Joshua Gonzales at their home around 1am.
Their father, Julian Gonzales, attempted to save his dying son, but ‘suffered a fatal medical episode’ in the process.
‘The 15-year-old was questioned by detectives and has been released pending additional investigation,’ police said.
‘Further details will be provided by the Texas City Police Department once the district attorney’s office has completed its review of the incident.’
Julian, known by his friends as Jay, was a beloved tattoo artist who owned a studio in Texas City called Artistic Image, according to his Facebook profile.
Texas teenager Joshua Gonzales (pictured right), 17, has died after his 15-year-old brother accidentally shot him – and their father Julian Gonzales (pictured left) keeled over moments later while trying to save his dying son on Monday morning
The horror double-tragedy unfolded at their home in Texas City, just outside Houston in the early hours of Monday morning, cops confirmed. (Pictured: Joshua and Julian)
His business partner Melo Salazar spoke with Fox26 about his shock death.
‘He wasn’t my blood family, but he was my brother,’ Salazar told the outlet.
‘He was all about those boys. He was a single father. So, he did a lot for them. Everything was for them.’
Julian witnessed his 15-year-old son shoot his older brother, according to Click 2 Houston.
Texas City Independent School District confirmed to KHOU that Joshua had been a student there.
‘We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students,’ the district said in a statement
‘Our thoughts are with the family and all those who cared for them during this difficult time.’
Photographs on Julian’s social media profiles show him at work in his tattoo studio, and smiling with his son during happier times.
Julian, known by his friends as Jay, was a beloved tattoo artist who owned a studio in Texas City called Artistic Image, according to his Facebook profile
Texas City Police said a 15-year-old boy ‘accidentally’ shot his 17-year-old brother, Joshua Gonzales, at their home on the 300 block of 10th Avenue North around 1am
It comes after a 15-year-old boy fatally shot his parents and three siblings in Fall City, Washington before checking their pulses to make sure they were dead.
The unnamed teenager massacred all but one of his family members with his father’s Glock handgun at their luxury $1.4 million home in the leafy town.
Electrical engineer Mark Humiston, 43, and his registered nurse wife Sarah, 42, were found dead at the home along with three of their children, Benjamin, 13, Joshua, 9 and Katheryn, 7.
The 11-year-old sole surviving daughter played dead before she escaped the bloodbath through a ‘fire window’ in her room and ran about a quarter of a mile away to a neighbor’s house.
She told police that her alleged killer brother checked the pulses of his dead relatives afterwards, but didn’t come to check hers.
