Crime
Suspect in Shooting Death of Girlfriend Mackenzie Wisdom Released on $30,000 Bond the Same Day
According to the affidavit, Bunch-Stiles immediately told officers that he had accidentally shot his girlfriend.
GUN BARREL CITY, TX – A Gun Barrel City man arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of his girlfriend told authorities the incident was an accident, according to newly released court documents.
John David Bunch-Stiles, 23, was taken into custody Sunday following the shooting death of 22-year-old Mackenzie Wisdom.
An arrest affidavit from Henderson County states that Bunch-Stiles claimed his firearm discharged accidentally while he was transferring it between holsters.
Authorities responded to a shooting call at approximately 4:08 p.m. at a residence in Gun Barrel City.
Upon arrival, officers found Bunch-Stiles outside on the front lawn, waving them down.
According to the affidavit, Bunch-Stiles immediately told officers that he had accidentally shot his girlfriend.
Inside the home, Wisdom was found suffering from a gunshot wound to her upper right shoulder.
First responders administered life-saving measures before transporting her to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 4:46 p.m.
Bunch-Stiles was taken to the Gun Barrel City Police Department, where he provided a statement regarding the events leading up to the shooting.
According to the affidavit, he explained that he had been transferring his firearm from a holster he had been carrying to a soft holster for storage in a nightstand when the gun unexpectedly discharged, striking Wisdom as she lay on the bed.
Bunch-Stiles was booked on a charge of criminally negligent homicide early Monday morning. Jail records indicate he posted bond the same day for $30,000 and was released.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not yet disclosed whether additional charges may be considered.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.