A father has died after desperately trying to save his teenage son's life after his younger brother accidentally shot him in their home.
Jay Gonzalez, 41, was found dead along with Joshua Gonzalez, 17, when police arrived at the family home.
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Police said Joshua died from a bullet fired by his 15-year-old brother, while Jay died from an undisclosed medical condition.
The tragedy occurred in Texas City, Texas, on Galveston Bay outside Houston, and the victims were identified by the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office.
Guy, who witnessed the shooting, died while performing life-saving procedures on Joshua, local NBC affiliate KPRC-TV reported.
The Texas City Police Department said officers rushed to the scene just after 1:20 a.m. Monday after learning of the shooting.
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The 15-year-old brother, whose name was not revealed, was taken for questioning before being returned to his mother.
Investigators have turned the case over to the Galveston County District Attorney's Office to decide whether or not charges should be filed.
A community mourns
The Texas City Independent School District confirmed in a statement that Joshua Gonzalez was a student.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students, and our thoughts are with the family and everyone who cared for them during this difficult time,” the district said.
“The well-being of our students and staff is our top priority, and we have made counselors available to provide support to anyone who needs help processing their grief.
“Together, we will work together to support our school community as we overcome this loss.”
He did everything for the community – fundraisers, school trips….man, he did his best if he could.
Milo Salazar
The father, Jay Gonzalez, was a traveling tattoo artist who worked at Artistic Image tattoo studio in Texas City, according to his Facebook profile.
Gonzalez often posted his tattoo work on his Facebook and Instagram pages, which have since become the site of numerous tributes.
Gonzalez's colleagues at Artistic Image said he “was loved by many because he was always stepping up to help the community,” Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported.
“Most of all, besides just being a tattoo artist and business partner, he was a human being and he was a very good person,” his business partner Milo Salazar said.
“He did everything for the community – fundraising, school trips. I'm sorry, I mean it's so hard. Man, he would go above and beyond if he could, man.”
“I don't have to say to anyone who knows him, that if they knew him, they loved him — he would give up the shirt on his back,” Salazar said of Gonzalez to KHO.
An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death of the victims.
The Texas City Police Department issued a statement confirming the status of the investigation.
“Upon officers' arrival, they discovered a deceased person inside the home. Additionally, one person is currently being questioned in connection with the incident.”
He added, “The investigation is continuing and the authorities confirm that there is no immediate threat to public safety.”
The Texas City Police Department could not be reached for comment.
