6 arrested in death of 64-year-old woman caught in shooting in Burleson

Dallas- Six people were arrested this weekend in connection with a drug deal that ended in a shooting that resulted in the death of a 64-year-old bystander, Burleson police announced Tuesday.

Kathryn Bryan was fatally shot Friday around 6 pm on Wilshire Boulevard in Burleson while driving home from work in Arlington.

The woman was “caught in the crossfire” between two groups of criminals planning to rob each other during a drug sale, Police Chief Billy Cordell said at a news conference.

Two men from Mission, Texas, Gustavo Hernandez, 28, and Francisco Mejia, 24, planned to use counterfeit money to buy drugs from four Fort Worth-area men, Cordell said.

While those four men — David Devaney Jr., 35, David Devaney Sr., 58, David Dever, 36 and Clint Dunlap, 40 — planned to rob the other two, Cordell said.

The six men agreed to meet in a parking lot near Alsbury Boulevard before the trouble broke out. The two Mission men drove off in a car while the other four gave chase, Cordell said.

The four men opened fire while the cars were stopped in traffic near Wilshire Boulevard, and one bullet struck the woman in the head, Cordell said.

Hernández and Mejía jumped into the back of another bystander’s truck before being detained by police a short time later. The other four Fort Worth men were arrested over the weekend.

No other people are suspected of being involved, Cordell said. Police seized 4 pounds of methamphetamine and 10 firearms.

During a news conference, Police Chief Cordell held up a photo of Bryan that showed her wearing sunglasses, a slight smile framed by her blonde hair. He described her as a wife, a mother of two men and a grandmother who had been a chemical engineer for 43 years and planned to retire soon.

“It’s been a very long and challenging weekend for detectives and so many people who worked tirelessly to get to where we are today,” Cordell said.

All six men remain in custody at the Johnson County Jail.

The four North Texas men each face one count of capital murder, one count of aggravated assault and one count of involvement in criminal activity.

The two Mission men face charges of forgery and engaging in criminal activity to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance.

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