TYLER, Texas — After a shooting that left five injured at a trail ride in June, Smith County officials are working to strengthen enforcement of regulations on unpermitted large events.
On June 26, officials responded to the shooting in the 18000 block of FM 2767 in eastern Smith County at around 12:35 a.m., leaving five people shot, including a 13-year-old, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said.
Four people were released from the hospital soon after and a 30-year-old man, who was shot in the face, is now out of ICU, Smith said.
Those event organizers, Unified Elite Riderz, did not have permission to use the property, which was described as a large pasture. Deputies are continuing to search for the potential shooters.
Following efforts to increase permitting enforcement, Smith announced an arrest in connection with a horse racing event that was not properly arranged through the Smith County Fire Marshal's Office.
This past Saturday, the Smith County Sheriff's Office charged Renault Kay, 55, with evading arrest detention with a vehicle and mass gathering without a permit.
Deputies received a call of reckless driving in the 13600 block of Smith County Road 3104. This area is known for the horse racing track, L & K Downs, the sheriff's office said.
Smith County deputies arrived on the scene to find a woman collecting admission fees for the event. The deputies asked to speak with the event organizer and property owner, which was Kay, according to the sheriff's office.
Kay arrived to the front gate, driving a Ford-150. Kay told the deputies, the small event was expected to bring approximately 200 attendees to watch "practice" horse racing, the sheriff's office reported.
According to the Smith County Fire Marshal's Office, anyone hosting an event with 100 people or more is required to have a mass gathering permit.
The sheriff's deputies, Assistant Fire Marshal Chad Hogue, and Pct. 4 Constable Josh Joplin attempted to detain Kay but he increased the speed of his vehicle and drove toward the northeast of his property near the horse racing track.
Kay said he was evading law enforcement because he had an individual in the vehicle with him who had outstanding arrest warrants. Deputies also handed out six Class C citations to horse owners who participated in the event.
The investigation revealed that Kay was told multiple times about rules related to mass gatherings. He had told officials that he understood the rules, the sheriff's office said.