At approximately 05:20am on the morning of Wednesday March 8th, 2023, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a male stating his business; Frank’s Liquor Store in the 13500 block of State Highway 150 in Coldspring, was actively being burglarized.
Multiple deputies, including a patrol supervisor, responded immediately. While enroute, dispatch advised the responding units that the subject whom had allegedly broken into the liquor store had been shot by the store owner.
Deputies arrived on scene moments later and found the alleged burglar lying on the floor of the business with a single gunshot wound. Allegiance Mobile Health arrived on scene shortly after and began performing medical care to the male subject.
The subject was transported by EMS to a local emergency room where he subsequently was pronounced deceased.
Investigators processed the scene and reviewed surveillance camera footage that showed the subject entering the closed business through a drive-thru window.
The footage then showed the subject move around inside of the liquor store and place cigarettes and bottles of liquor inside of a bag before moving to a back storage room. The store owner, who had spent the night inside of the store, was awoken from his sleep by a noise and began checking his business.
As the store owner came across the storage room, he observed the subject in the back room and yelled out. The subject appeared to rapidly move towards where the owner was standing. At this time, the store owner discharged one round from a handgun, striking the subject, causing him to fall to the ground.
The store owner immediately notified 911 of the situation and awaited law enforcement arrival. A local Justice of the Peace in Liberty County requested an inquest by the medical examiner.
All evidence, summaries and facts of the case will be presented to the San Jacinto County District Attorney’s Office and subsequently, a grand jury, to determine if any charges will be filed in this case, which is standard procedure in any case resulting in death.
The decedent was identified as Jeffery Gunter, W/M, of Point Blank, Texas. Mr. Gunter’s next of kin was notified by the Sheriff’s Office and is cooperating with the investigation.
