Father-of-two shot in the head in live video after friend played around with loaded gun
A 26-year-old Houston father-of-two is said to be in critical condition and fighting for his life after a live stream caught the horrific moment when his friend accidentally shot him in the head. The video has since gone viral on social media and been viewed millions of times, with police said to have already apprehended the suspect.
The father has been identified as one Devyn Holmes and was shot by 25-year-old Cassandra Damper, who can be seen in the footage messing around with the loaded firearm. The incident is said to have taken place on Easter, and Damper, who is reportedly in police custody, has since been charged.
Authorities say the accident took place at around 2:30 am on Sunday morning in the parking lot of a Valero gas station on Almeda and Southmore in Houston, and as the video begins, Holmes can be seen picking up the handgun and inspecting it. The live feed then cuts to another portion, where a man sitting in the back prises the gun away and puts it in between Holmes and Damper.
Damper then picks up the gun, points it at the camera and seems to issue some vague threats saying 'lying a********', leading Holmes to grab her hand. As she seemingly gets increasingly agitated, Holmes nervously proclaims that he's nervous and mumbles something himself.
The man sitting in the back, who police say is one Cadillac Coleman, tries to calm Holmes down and says: "She ain't got no clip bud man," which the 26-year-old does not seem to hear. Instead, he once again turns towards Damper, which is when the bullet gets fired.
As Damper can be seen cocking the gun, Holmes asks: "Where you from again? Say something b****." An audible click can be heard as the bullet loads, and a short, loud pop is heard as it fires. Holmes, who is on the periphery of the camera, is hit and visibly slumps in his seat.
Blood can be seen pouring out of his head and on to his white shirt, making it stand out all the more. Coleman and Damper both begin freaking out and both bolt out of the car. As the video ends, Holmes is the only one left, bleeding out in front of the camera.
Click2Houston reported that Damper was arrested after she tried to wipe off any gunshot residue that she may have had on her hands. While she claimed she did not know that the gun was loaded, she was subsequently charged with tampering or fabricating of evidence.
Police say the case will be referred to a grand jury to see if any additional charges should be filed against the 25-year-old. Coleman, however, has not been charged and police have not offered a comment on whether he will be held responsible.
Police say that the father-of-two is currently on life support at the Ben Taub Hospital and his family has asked the public that they pray for his recovery. Devyn's brother, Kendric Holmes, was quoted saying: "To me, he's my backbone. To his whole family, whenever problems go down, he'll be right there to pick us all up."
Netizens on Facebook seem to have responded to the family's call to prayers. Hundreds swarmed his personal page and wrote heartening messages. One user, Joey Skordensky, posted: "Sending prayers from Georgia. I don't know this young man but I just saw the video of what happened and I hope he pulls through."
Ceray Antis wrote: "Sending my prayers from New York but justice needs to be served," with others similarly posting: "Thoughts and wishes from Minnesota!," "Praying for your recovery, you and your family are in my prayers," and "I am so very sorry. I'm praying for your full recovery and peace which surpasses all understanding for your family."