Matthew Davis: Victim in Keene Sonic shooting

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Keene Sonic Shooting: Sentencing Delayed for 13-Year-Old Boy Convicted of Murder

The sentencing of a 13-year-old boy convicted in the May 13 shooting death of a Sonic restaurant employee in Keene has been postponed until Tuesday. County Court at Law No. 1 Judge John Neill heard testimony during the boy’s sentencing phase on November 1, but the court adjourned before both sides had the opportunity to present all of their evidence.

Jurors in the same court had previously found the boy guilty of delinquent conduct for his involvement in the tragic shooting. However, the boy’s attorney, Seth Fuller, opted to have Judge Neill determine the sentencing instead of the jurors.

The boy, whose name is being withheld due to his status as a juvenile, faces a potential sentence ranging from probation to 40 years in prison. The delay in continuing the hearing from the original sentencing date was due to difficulties in finding a date that accommodated all necessary parties.

During the trial, jurors deliberated for nearly seven hours before returning a delinquent conduct verdict, which is the juvenile equivalent of a guilty verdict. The incident occurred on May 13 when Keene police responded to reports of a shooting at the Keene Sonic on Old Betsy Road.

Upon arrival, police discovered Matthew Davis, a 32-year-old male from Keene, lying in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. Davis was transported to Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigations revealed that a second suspect in the case, 20-year-old Angel Gomez, had arrived at the Sonic earlier in the evening with the boy and several others in his vehicle. Gomez became disorderly, leading to a confrontation with Davis, who was a Sonic employee.

According to police reports, the altercation turned physical, and it was during this time that the boy, who was 12 at the time, retrieved a gun from Gomez’s vehicle and fired multiple shots at Davis. After the shooting, Gomez, the boy, and the other occupants fled the scene. However, Gomez later returned while officers were present and was taken into custody.

Gomez was charged with murder and making a firearm accessible to a child. The disposition of his case is still pending. The boy was located by police in Rio Vista and subsequently taken into custody. Several firearms were also recovered at the scene.

During the trial, Fuller argued the defense of others on behalf of the boy. Following the boy’s conviction, Fuller expressed disappointment that his client was not found not guilty. Looking ahead to Judge Neill’s upcoming sentencing decision, Fuller stated, “This is the perfect probation case.”

Fuller emphasized that the boy has no history of violent crimes and has displayed good behavior during his time in detention leading up to the trial. He also mentioned that the true story of the incident differs from what was initially believed and that it is important for the public to be aware of this.

Fuller added, “Because, let’s say he gets probation, I think [Neill] is a good judge and don’t want him to get any backlash because [the boy] is a good kid who’s not violent with no history.”

During the trial, testimony revealed that on the day of the incident, the boy, along with his uncle, aunt, and younger sisters, were on their way to visit their grandparents in Rio Vista. Before reaching their destination, the uncle and aunt, who were 19 and 18 at the time, stopped at Sonic to get food. It was also revealed that they had consumed White Claw Vodka Sodas, despite not being of legal drinking age.

Fuller stated, “They were not supposed to be drinking, not old enough. I don’t think they were drunk, but they were drinking, and that probably contributed to the incident.”

According to the trial testimony, Angel Gomez exited his vehicle after pulling forward from the drive-thru and urinated in the parking lot. Davis and another Sonic worker witnessed the event and asked Gomez to stop. This led to a fight between Gomez and Davis, during which the boy’s aunt, Ashley Gomez, remained in the front passenger seat with the three children in the back seat.

Fuller explained that during the altercation, Angel Gomez fell to the ground, and Davis began hitting him. This information was disclosed by a female Sonic employee during the trial. At this point, Ashley Gomez retrieved a gun from the car and called the boy to the front, handing him the weapon.

“She gives him the gun and says, ‘Go’ at least,” Fuller stated. “The disputed part is what else does she say. The little sister said she told [the boy] to go shoot [Davis]. The sister said she didn’t originally know what [Ashley Gomez] meant by go. It’s very hard to tell.”

Regardless of the exact instructions given, it is clear that Ashley Gomez handed the gun to the boy and instructed him to take action. The boy then exited the vehicle and shot Davis six times. Angel Gomez, who had gotten up from the ground, got back into his truck after the shooting.

“He was very mad,” Fuller explained. “Asking [the boy], ‘Why did you shoot him for?’ He was telling [Ashley Gomez], ‘Why did you let him have the gun? What the hell is going on?'”

Angel Gomez subsequently drove off, and Ashley Gomez dropped the children off at their grandparents’ house. They then left in another car and returned to the Sonic. Ashley Gomez was arrested on November 1 at the Guinn Justice Center on a manslaughter charge related to Davis’ shooting death.

During the boy’s sentencing hearing on November 1, the Johnson County Attorney’s Office presented their evidence, and Fuller called the boy’s mother to the stand. At the end of a full day of testimony, Fuller requested a psychological evaluation of the boy. Judge Neill adjourned the proceedings for the day.

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