Police arrest Sunnyvale murder suspect in Mississippi, shooting was likely a ‘retaliation’

It has been a year since a gunman, riding in a getaway car, ambushed a family of five in Sunnyvale, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to her adult brother and his three children.

Surveillance footage captured a black sedan blocking a vehicle in the parking lot of the Riverton Trail Townhomes on 201 Planters Road. A masked man exited the sedan’s passenger side and fired multiple shots into the parked car.

Tyesha Merritt, 27, from Mesquite, tragically lost her life in the shooting. Her brother and his three children sustained critical injuries but have since recovered. Police identified Merritt’s brother as the individual seen fleeing the scene.

Last week, Sunnyvale Police reported that one of the suspects linked to the homicide was apprehended in Mississippi.

Quantavius Gomillia, 27, was brought back by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office on June 27 and is currently held at Dallas County Jail on a murder charge.

“We aren’t sure why he went to Mississippi other than trying to evade capture,” Sunnyvale Police Chief Bill Vegas said on Monday.

Vegas mentioned that the suspect had regular communication with a detective regarding an unrelated matter, but abruptly stopped communicating.

“Perhaps he became suspicious or nervous and fled to Mississippi, where his father resides,” Vegas explained.

Authorities have not disclosed the relationship between the suspect and the victims but suspect the attack was targeted.

“This appears to be retaliation for an incident that occurred shortly before the murder, on May 29,” Vegas stated, refraining from divulging further details to safeguard the investigation, including where the incident took place, other than it was near Sunnyvale.

“Murder is always abhorrent when committed. There are proper channels to address grievances, and murder should never be one,” Vegas emphasized.

The chief credited his detective and collaboration with Mesquite Police, Carrollton Police, and the FBI for cracking the case.

“He remained dedicated to the case over the past year, never letting it go cold,” Vegas noted. “This was one of those cases that we never stopped working on.”

Vegas mentioned he had spoken with the victim’s family, who expressed deep gratitude for the department’s efforts. He also communicated with the injured children’s family.

“I reached out to the mother and grandmother of the children who were shot in the backseat. They are overjoyed that ‘the bad guy,’ as they put it, has been apprehended and is in custody,” Vegas recounted. “I could hear the grandmother in the background, filled with joyful tears. She was immensely happy.”

The chief reassured that the children injured in the incident were now in much better physical condition.

“All three were shot, all were in serious condition, all survived, and all are now thriving,” Vegas affirmed.

Police continue to search for the second suspect who was in the car with Gomillia. It remains unclear who was the shooter or the driver.

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact North Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-877-373-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspect(s).