The Tarrant County Medical Exmainer's Office says it'll likely take weeks or maybe even months to positively identify four of the five people killed Monday morning in a fiery crash in Fort Worth.
According to Fort Worth police, at about 12:30 a.m. Monday, the driver of a black Camaro was speeding when he slammed into the back of a sedan in the northbound lanes of Interstate 35W near Seminary Drive. The crash erupted into a fireball, killing all five occupants of the sedan and injuring the driver of the Camaro.
While the identities of the victims have not yet been confirmed by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, the ME's office told NBC 5 on Friday that the victims of the crash are believed to be two adults and three children.
"One adult may be identified in the coming days. However, the other four decedents will need to be scientifically identified by DNA testing, which will take several weeks to months to complete," the medical examiner's office said.
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One of the adult victims has been identified to NBC 5 by family members as 48-year-old Willie Gunn. His family said he was in the car with his girlfriend at the time of the crash and that the three other victims in the vehicle were her children. Gunn's family said he leaves behind two children of his own.
The driver of the Camaro, identified by Fort Worth police as 19-year-old Eduardo Gonzalez, has been arrested and is facing five charges of intoxication manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. At last check, Gonzalez was being held on bonds totaling $750,000. It's unclear if he has obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Friday night, Gunn's loved ones gathered for a balloon release in Fort Worth's Glenwood Park.
In life, family said Gunn was the one to bring everyone together. Four days after his death, his memory was still uniting those he loved.
“He was the type of person that would’ve been trying to uplift us right now," said Gunn's niece Jacresia Gunn.
As they gathered, the crowd continued to build for nearly two hours with relatives and friends from various walks of life. A prayer was shared and pictures of Gunn were displayed by his daughter, Keyera Gunn.
“My dad was a genuine, loveable person. He always cared about everybody. My daddy was a strong man," she said.
Now, Gunn said the family is focused on justice.
