Ex-detention center officials open fire on migrants on Texas road killing male, injuring female

Two men in a pickup truck opened fire on a group of people that had stopped to drink water, injuring one undocumented migrant and killing another, police said on Thursday.

The shooting took place on Tuesday in the town of Sierra Blanca, about 85 miles southeast of El Paso. A group of people had stopped by a water tank along a farm road to drink water when the two suspects attacked them.

The victim who died from the gunshot wounds was a male. The other victim was a woman, who is recovering at the Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso, according to state authorities. The identities of the victims or their nationalities have not yet been released.

After the shooting, the truck was found parked outside of a home in Hudspeth County, a rural area east of El Paso. The vehicle belonged to LaSalle Corrections, a private correction center, according to a report. The truck led police to the two suspects involved in the shooting.

Two suspects, identified as twin brothers Mike and Matthew Sheppard, both 60, were taken into custody in connection to the shooting. According to a police report, Mike Sheppard is a warden of the private detention center.

Scott Sutterfield, a spokesperson for LaSalle Corrections, clarified that Sheppard no longer worked for the company.

“The warden at the West Texas Detention Center (WTDC), Sierra Blanca, TX has been terminated due to an off-duty incident unrelated to his employment,” Sutterfield said.

The two suspects are facing manslaughter charges, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety in El Paso.

The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Border Patrol were involved in the investigation.