Lucky Eagle Casino Shooting Suspect Pleads Not Guilty, Judge Orders Psych Test

Keryan Rashad Jones, 34, the suspect linked to the fatal shooting that claimed two lives at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in September of last year, has pleaded not guilty. However, suspicions rise if Jones can even understand what he is being accused of, so his attorney requested a psychological examination.

Casino Shooting Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

Earlier this week, Jones, a former National Guardsman from San Antonio, made a court appearance from a Maverick County jail to be read his charges. He is accused of killing retired US Customs and Border Protection agent Marcus Antley and Alicia Danielle Sanchez and is being held on a $5.1 million bond.

Alfredo Padilla, the suspect’s lawyer, asked that the court order evaluations to determine his competency to stand trial and, subsequently, to judge if he was legally sane at the time of the shooting. San Antonio attorney Joseph Hoelscher of the HGC Law Firm said certain conditions, such as a schizo-affective disorder, can impair a person’s ability to understand the charges against them. 

However, while Padilla had his motion granted, prosecutors doubt that Jones is insane, claiming that he seems completely competent based on his jail calls. Some jails record jail calls, which are used as a tool to catch suspects who are faking insanity.

What Happened on the Faithful Day in September?

The fatal shooting happened on September 27 at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel in Eagle Pass, which is near the Texas-Mexico border. We covered this subject in detail soon after it happened, with witnesses of the tragedy describing the event in detail.

That day, the casino was quite busy, having attracted a crowd due to a special giveaway for a brand-new Mercedes E350. Jones allegedly barged in and started firing his gun. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as gunfire triggered panic, with people hiding under tables and fleeing toward exits. Sadly, Antley and Sanchez were killed during the event, but at least five others were wounded and taken to hospitals in Eagle Pass and San Antonio.

According to authorities, Jones fled the scene in a black Nissan Frontier pickup, which sparked a multi-agency search that spanned nearly 200 miles. He was apprehended the next day in Wilson County following a vehicle pursuit and was subdued with a Taser before being taken into custody.

Since the incident, the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino has strengthened security, installing a concrete barrier in front of its entrance, along with other measures put in place to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.