Tyler courthouse shooting
Encyclopedia
The Tyler courthouse shooting refers to a February 24, 2005 shootout in which David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. opened fire on his ex-wife and son in front of the Smith County
Courthouse in Tyler, Texas
, then engaged police and court officers in a shootout. Mirabel Estrada, his ex-wife, was killed at the scene, as was Mark Allen Wilson
, a downtown resident who attempted to intervene; Arroyo was fatally shot by police after a high-speed pursuit where he repeatedly shot at officers. Two sheriff's deputies, a police officer, and Arroyo's son were wounded.
Arroyo, who had parked and lay in wait nearby the courthouse, approached his ex-wife and son on the steps outside the Smith County Courthouse and fired on them with a semi-automatic MAK-90 rifle, a semi-automatic rifle styled after the AK-47 rifle. Maribel Estrada was hit in the head and killed instantly, and Arroyo Jr was hit in the leg and wounded. Both fell to the ground at the front courthouse steps.
Nearby law enforcement and law enforcement officers already present at the courthouse responded to the initial shots and began exchanging fire with Arroyo. At this point, the law enforcement officers were only armed with pistols, and Arroyo was able to wound several and force them to retreat.
A local resident, Mark Allen Wilson
, was in his downtown loft when he heard the shooting begin. He looked out his window and saw Arroyo at the courthouse steps engaged in a shootout with law enforcement. Wilson, who held a Texas concealed handgun permit immediately armed himself with his Colt .45 caliber pistol
, and left his residence to intervene in the gun battle. Because Arroyo was already engaged in a heated gun battle with sheriff's deputies
and Tyler police officer
s, he did not see Wilson approach from behind.
As Wilson approached Arroyo from behind, Arroyo was taking aim at his son who he had already shot in the leg and wounded. Acting to defend the life of Arroyo's son, Wilson fired a round from approximately 50 feet which struck Arroyo in the back causing him to stumble and taking his attention away from his son. A witness who saw Wilson's round strike Arroyo reported seeing "white puffs of powder-like substance" come from Arroyo's clothing. This is believed to be the first time Arroyo was hit or injured during his attack on the courthouse.
Wilson was forced to take cover behind Arroyo's truck in a prone position and exchanged fire with Arroyo. As Arroyo began to approach Wilson's position, he stood up from behind cover and fired again hitting Arroyo. Unknown to Wilson, Arroyo was wearing a bulletproof vest
, rendering Wilson's shots ineffective. Arroyo eventually fired a shot that struck Wilson, who faltered and fell from the view of witnesses, face down behind Arroyo's truck. Arroyo then walked up to Wilson and fired three more shots at him, killing him.
rifle, soon arrived on the scene. After over 116 rounds had been fired, Arroyo attempted to flee and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit continued from the city streets of Tyler to a nearby highway. At the terminus of the pursuit, Arroyo fired at the vehicle of Deputy Sheriff John Smith who had pulled closely behind Arroyo's truck during the pursuit. After being fired upon, Deputy Smith returned fire with his vehicle still in motion and used his patrol car to ram Arroyo’s truck. Arroyo stopped his vehicle exited it in an attempt to fire upon Smith who's patrol car had essentially come to a stop on the passenger side of Arroyo's truck after ramming it. Smith sped away to avoid Arroyo's shots and gunfire from other law enforcement officers. At this point with Arroyo out of his vehicle, Sgt. Rusty Jacks fired five shots from his rifle hitting Arroyo in the back of the head and killing him instantly as he attempted to get back into his vehicle.
Mark Wilson has been widely credited as heroic for his selfless actions, which are widely believed to have caused Arroyo to cease his attack and flee the area without murdering his son. On March 31, 2005, the Texas House unanimously adopted resolution (HR. 740) to honor Wilson and the Texas State Rifle Association honored Wilson by publishing an account of his actions. The incident also raised concerns about the implications of well-meaning citizens becoming involved in police activities.
Smith County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 174,706 people, 65,692 households, and 46,904 families residing in the county. The population density was 188 people per square mile . There were 71,701 housing units at an average density of 77 per square mile...
Courthouse in Tyler, Texas
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
, then engaged police and court officers in a shootout. Mirabel Estrada, his ex-wife, was killed at the scene, as was Mark Allen Wilson
Mark Allen Wilson
Mark Alan Wilson was a Tyler, Texas man killed during a shooting outside the Smith County Courthouse in Tyler, Texas. He entered an ongoing gun battle between David Hernandez Arroyo Sr., who had attempted earlier to kill his wife and son, and law enforcement officers...
, a downtown resident who attempted to intervene; Arroyo was fatally shot by police after a high-speed pursuit where he repeatedly shot at officers. Two sheriff's deputies, a police officer, and Arroyo's son were wounded.
Early Stages of the Shootout
At the time of the shooting, Estrada and her son, David Hernandez Arroyo Jr., were entering the courthouse for a hearing regarding her ex-husband's failure to pay child support after their 2004 divorce. Estrada's lawyer later stated that his client did not believe her ex-husband to be dangerous.Arroyo, who had parked and lay in wait nearby the courthouse, approached his ex-wife and son on the steps outside the Smith County Courthouse and fired on them with a semi-automatic MAK-90 rifle, a semi-automatic rifle styled after the AK-47 rifle. Maribel Estrada was hit in the head and killed instantly, and Arroyo Jr was hit in the leg and wounded. Both fell to the ground at the front courthouse steps.
Nearby law enforcement and law enforcement officers already present at the courthouse responded to the initial shots and began exchanging fire with Arroyo. At this point, the law enforcement officers were only armed with pistols, and Arroyo was able to wound several and force them to retreat.
A local resident, Mark Allen Wilson
Mark Allen Wilson
Mark Alan Wilson was a Tyler, Texas man killed during a shooting outside the Smith County Courthouse in Tyler, Texas. He entered an ongoing gun battle between David Hernandez Arroyo Sr., who had attempted earlier to kill his wife and son, and law enforcement officers...
, was in his downtown loft when he heard the shooting begin. He looked out his window and saw Arroyo at the courthouse steps engaged in a shootout with law enforcement. Wilson, who held a Texas concealed handgun permit immediately armed himself with his Colt .45 caliber pistol
M1911
The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....
, and left his residence to intervene in the gun battle. Because Arroyo was already engaged in a heated gun battle with sheriff's deputies
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
and Tyler police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s, he did not see Wilson approach from behind.
As Wilson approached Arroyo from behind, Arroyo was taking aim at his son who he had already shot in the leg and wounded. Acting to defend the life of Arroyo's son, Wilson fired a round from approximately 50 feet which struck Arroyo in the back causing him to stumble and taking his attention away from his son. A witness who saw Wilson's round strike Arroyo reported seeing "white puffs of powder-like substance" come from Arroyo's clothing. This is believed to be the first time Arroyo was hit or injured during his attack on the courthouse.
Wilson was forced to take cover behind Arroyo's truck in a prone position and exchanged fire with Arroyo. As Arroyo began to approach Wilson's position, he stood up from behind cover and fired again hitting Arroyo. Unknown to Wilson, Arroyo was wearing a bulletproof vest
Bulletproof vest
A ballistic vest, bulletproof vest or bullet-resistant vest is an item of personal armor that helps absorb the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the torso...
, rendering Wilson's shots ineffective. Arroyo eventually fired a shot that struck Wilson, who faltered and fell from the view of witnesses, face down behind Arroyo's truck. Arroyo then walked up to Wilson and fired three more shots at him, killing him.
Later Stages of Shootout and Pursuit with Law Enforcement
Officers from the Tyler Police Department including Sergeant Rusty Jacks, a trained sniper armed with an Colt AR-15AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
rifle, soon arrived on the scene. After over 116 rounds had been fired, Arroyo attempted to flee and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit continued from the city streets of Tyler to a nearby highway. At the terminus of the pursuit, Arroyo fired at the vehicle of Deputy Sheriff John Smith who had pulled closely behind Arroyo's truck during the pursuit. After being fired upon, Deputy Smith returned fire with his vehicle still in motion and used his patrol car to ram Arroyo’s truck. Arroyo stopped his vehicle exited it in an attempt to fire upon Smith who's patrol car had essentially come to a stop on the passenger side of Arroyo's truck after ramming it. Smith sped away to avoid Arroyo's shots and gunfire from other law enforcement officers. At this point with Arroyo out of his vehicle, Sgt. Rusty Jacks fired five shots from his rifle hitting Arroyo in the back of the head and killing him instantly as he attempted to get back into his vehicle.
Aftermath
The Tyler Courthouse shooting was widely covered by national news organizations and video from the incident is readily accessible on the internet. The incident became the subject of a number of chain e-mails and web pages that highlighted the bravery of the law enforcement officers involved and lauded Mark Wilson for his attempt to intervene and the sacrifice he made in doing so. The incident demonstrated the importance of law enforcement having access to rifles when faced with heavily armed criminals and served as political fodder for parties from both sides of the 'gun control' debate.Mark Wilson has been widely credited as heroic for his selfless actions, which are widely believed to have caused Arroyo to cease his attack and flee the area without murdering his son. On March 31, 2005, the Texas House unanimously adopted resolution (HR. 740) to honor Wilson and the Texas State Rifle Association honored Wilson by publishing an account of his actions. The incident also raised concerns about the implications of well-meaning citizens becoming involved in police activities.
Casualties
- Mark Allen Wilson and Maribel Estrada were killed at the shooting scene.
- David Hernandez Arroyo Jr. was wounded in the leg but survived.
- Smith County sheriff's deputies Sherman Dollison, 28, and Marlin Suell, 38, were wounded during the incident.
- Tyler police officer Clay Perrett was wounded during the incident.
External links
- Article on the method and ethics of defending others with a firearm.
- Video filmed during the shooting
- Another source for the video footage
- News article about the shooting
- Estrada's lawyer's remarks about Arroyo
- Account of Mark Wilson's actions during the gunfight
- Another account of Mark Wilson's actions