Police said the suspect in the Harker Heights club shooting has turned herself in.
Olishea LaShawn Smith was charged with murder after being accused of firing shots at 42-year-old Dexter Prather and 27-year-old Damion Hopkins from Colorado Springs, CO.
"We have had communications with the families and we like them. Certainly, [we] are very sorry for the event and we feel a great deal of kinship with people when they suffer loss such as this," Harker Heights Chief of Police Michael Gentry said.
According to police, Smith walked into the club with Prather. Her bond was set at $1 million.
"At some point, Smith determined to produce a weapon and fire at the person she perceived in the afray against Prather. We don't know other than the forensics tell us but she is the sole shooter," Gentry said.
Police said that there were five shots fired from a handgun at Club Empire, which hit both of the victims. Police believe the fight that started the shooting was over a dice game.
Gentry said more arrests are not expected but there could be additional charges filed as the case is reviewed by the Bell County District Attorney's Office.
Since last July when Club Empire opened in the 300 block of West Veteran's Boulevard, Harker Heights Police has done 25 area and business checks there. On four occasions, Gentry said the business, which is a bring your own beverage establishment, received warning and citations because of evidence of alcohol being consumed after 2:15 a.m.
"Their business practices have been scrutinized by us, as they have already been," Gentry said.
Club Empire has apparent management links to the BYOB club in Temple where Marlin Police Chief Darrell Allen was shot and killed in 2015 while working security.
"The point of interest to us in that linkage is the fact is that in the Temple case when the officer was there working security, there was violence. If there is any parallel in this case, there was violence," Gentry said.
He added he didn't understand the linkages completely, but there seems to be some common people involved in both of those establishments.
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