Two brothers in Texas have been arrested after authorities say one of them opened fire on a group of migrants fetching water near the U.S.-Mexico border, killing one man and shooting a woman in the stomach, according to court documents filed Thursday.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the shooting happened Tuesday in rural Hudspeth County about 90 miles from El Paso, where a woman was taken and is recovering at a hospital.
DPS said the victims were among a group of migrants who were standing by the roadside getting water when a truck pulled up with two men inside. According to court documents, the group took cover when the truck first drove past to avoid detection, but the truck then backed up.
Michael Sheppard and Mark Sheppard, both 60, were charged with manslaughter, according to court documents. It was unclear if either man had an attorney and no contact information could immediately be found Thursday.
Records show Michael Sheppard was a guard at the West Texas Detention Facility, a private facility that houses migrant detainees and contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Scott Sutterfield, a spokesman for the facility’s operator, Lasalle Corrections, said Thursday that the center’s warden was fired “due to an off-duty incident unrelated to his employment.” He declined further comment.
Authorities located the truck by checking cameras and found a vehicle matching the description given by the migrants, according to court records.
The New York Times, citing affidavits, said the two brothers told police they were hunting and stopped their truck because they thought they spotted a spear. Mark Sheppard said his brother got out with a shotgun and fired two shots, but they didn’t check to see if anything was hit, the newspaper said.
The number of migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border is nearing a record high. CBS News Correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reported last week that officials in El Paso are trying to move migrants sleeping outside the Greyhound bus station to shelters and motels.
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