(AsiaGameHub) –   A Maverick County court has granted a request for a mental assessment regarding the suspect involved in last year’s deadly shooting at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, Texas, United States.

Shooting Followed by Police Pursuit 

The suspected gunman, 35-year-old Keryan Rashad Jones of San Antonio, stands accused of firing a weapon in the casino’s parking area shortly before midnight on September 27. 

According to investigators, the assailant fatally shot two individuals and injured five more before escaping the scene.

Law enforcement officials stated that Jones left the casino vicinity after the shooting and briefly led police on a high-speed pursuit. He was subsequently apprehended in Wilson County and transported back to Eagle Pass to face charges.

The victims have been identified as Marcus Antley, a retired US Customs and Border Protection agent, and Alicia Sanchez, a 32-year-old mother of five from Dimmit County.

Jones currently faces nine felony counts, including two charges of capital murder and multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has entered a plea of not guilty.

Court Grants Motion

Court documents show that Jones has been under suicide watch while in custody. His attorney, Alfredo Padilla, requested additional time to assess his client’s mental state as part of the defense strategy.

On Tuesday, April 7, the court granted a motion for an official mental evaluation. The results are expected to be presented at the next hearing scheduled for May 6. The case is currently set for trial on October 13, and proceedings are projected to last about a week.

Local news outlet KENS 5 previously reported on Jones’ condition in jail and the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding his case.

To date, investigators have not released any clear motive for the shooting, but the upcoming mental evaluation is expected to play a key role in how the defense and prosecution prepare for trial later this year.

Earlier this week, Gambling News reported on a separate casino shooting case where rapper Kiari Kendrell Cephus, best known as Offset, was a victim. The artist, shot outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida, was taken to a hospital in stable condition.