A Waco man suspected of gunning down two store clerks in two separate robberies in North Texas last week has been arrested and booked, police say.
Davonta Mathis, 21, is charged with capital murder, murder, and evading arrest in the shooting deaths of 60-year-old Muhammad Hussain of Carrollton and 32-year-old Gopi Krishna Dasari.
The first deadly robbery happened on Thursday, June 20, just after 11 p.m. in the 1700 block of W. Bruton Road in Mesquite.
Mesquite police said officers received a 911 call about a man who entered a gas station and started shooting, striking Hussain multiple times in the upper torso. The alleged gunman then stole a handful of scratch-off lottery tickets.
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"It’s very bizarre behavior,” said Sgt. Curtis Phillip, with the Mesquite Police Department. “Twenty-one years old, and (he) chose to make decisions that were greatly going to affect the outcome of his life.”
When authorities arrived at the convenience store, they found Hussain suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot. After being rushed to a local hospital, the 60-year-old victim ultimately died from his injuries.
An arrest affidavit obtained by NBC 5 stated that on June 22, two days after the first shooting, Mathis went to Fox Gas Station in the 8600 block of Lake June Road in Dallas' Pleasant Grove area around 12:30 a.m. and threatened Dasari with a pistol.
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Dallas police said Mathis shot at Dasari multiple times, hitting him in different places, including his head. Police said in the affidavit Mathis then stole several Black and Mild cigarillos and tried unsuccessfully to break into the cash register.
"I heard the gunshots, and I froze for a second because I didn't know what was happening," said a witness to the shooting who asked not to be identified.
The witness said he called 911 and saw Dasari was bleeding out, but he didn't know how to help.
"I froze; I didn't know what to do," said the witness. "The impotence, you know, not being able to help him."
Once police officers and paramedics arrived at the gas station, Dasari was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. After more than 18 hours in the ICU, Dasari died from his injuries.
People who knew Dasari said he came to the United States from India only eight months ago to attend school. He leaves behind a wife and a 1-year-old child.
"He's a very, very good guy," said Istikar Warsi, who owns a phone repair store in the same building where the shooting occurred. "I can't feel what his family is suffering right now; it's very, very difficult for his family."
According to police, surveillance footage from the gas station revealed details about the suspect's vehicle, prompting law enforcement in the surrounding area to be on the lookout.
Just before 1 a.m. after the Dallas shooting, Mesquite officers said they saw an older blue Chevrolet pickup truck that matched the description of the vehicle linked to the June 20 shooting and attempted to stop the driver near Military Parkway and South East Boulevard.
“A vigilant patrol officer was able to spot the vehicle while he was on routine patrol,” Phillip said. “So, the officer obviously knew what we were suspecting from the 20th (of June). But he had no idea what had just happened probably 20 minutes before."
The driver of the pickup truck, identified as Mathis, sped off and led officers on a chase before he was pulled over and arrested for evading authorities.
Officers recovered the pistol Mathis used in both shootings, and the suspect was still wearing the same clothes he'd worn during both robberies, the affidavit said.
“It’s just sad that someone at that age chooses to live such a life and throw their life away over something so senseless,” Phillip said.
On Sunday, June 23, The Consulate of India in Houston announced that Dasari died from his injuries and released a brief statement.
"(We are" deeply saddened to learn about the tragic demise of Indian National Mr. Gopi Krishna Dasari in a robbery shooting. We offer our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased."
After further investigation and questioning, Mathis admitted to shooting Dasari and the capital murder in Mesquite.
Following Dasari's death, Mathis was charged again with murder. Booking records show he is being held at the Dallas County Jail on bonds totaling $7.5 million for three charges. It's unclear if Mathis has obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
A GoFundMe for Gopi Dasari's family has already raised more than $225,000 in two days, and donors can contribute there.
