Jeremy Lamar Bennett, a 20-year-old man from the Livingston, Texas area, died in the early morning hours of April 26, 2026, after a shooting at what authorities described as an after-prom gathering in Polk County. The party was being held at a rural property off U.S. Highway 146 near FM 2665, and what began as a youth-oriented celebration reportedly grew into a much larger crowd where alcohol, marijuana, and firearms were present.
Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office began receiving calls around 1:07 a.m. reporting that Bennett had been shot.
When deputies arrived, they found Bennett suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately began trying to save his life. The scene was chaotic, and while first responders were attempting to render aid, another fight reportedly broke out among people in the crowd. Deputies had to shift their attention from emergency aid to regaining control of the gathering. Bennett was transported by ambulance to CHI Livingston Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead from his injuries.
Investigators said the shooting appeared to unfold after a fight broke out during the gathering. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division opened a homicide investigation with assistance from the Texas Rangers. A search warrant executed at the property led authorities to recover six firearms, along with alcohol and drugs. Sheriff Byron Lyons described the loss as heartbreaking and said the circumstances could have been prevented, pointing to the dangerous mix of a large crowd, drugs, alcohol, and weapons.
Authorities initially announced three arrests or charges connected to the incident. Osvaldo Daniel Alvarez, 19, reportedly told detectives at the scene that he had invited the crowd to his residence to continue the party. He was initially charged with deadly conduct, and authorities later said he would face two counts of aggravated assault, with the possibility of additional aggravated assault charges tied to the incident.
Gabriel Ramirez Jr., 21, was charged with deadly conduct involving the discharge of a firearm. Authorities also said Ramirez was already under indictment for aggravated assault in an unrelated case, and the District Attorney’s Office was expected to prepare paperwork for a no-bond warrant on the new deadly conduct charge. Jon R. Villarreal, 19, was arrested for unlawful carrying of a weapon.
As detectives continued processing evidence and interviewing witnesses, authorities made another arrest directly connected to Bennett’s death. A 16-year-old male juvenile was taken into custody and charged with manslaughter and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Officials said the juvenile could face additional charges and would remain in custody at a juvenile detention facility after review by the Justice of the Peace and juvenile probation officials.
The investigation remained ongoing after the arrests, with Sheriff’s officials saying more charges could be filed as evidence continued to be evaluated. At the time of the available reports, the case centered on the juvenile charged with manslaughter, along with the other young men accused of weapon-related and violent conduct offenses connected to the chaotic after-prom gathering that ended with Bennett’s death.
