Family members of a father and daughter found shot to death in Panola County believe they were ambushed.
The Panola County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a one-vehicle crash around 7 a.m. Sunday, March 1, on River Road in Panola County. When they arrived on scene, they found 42-year-old Victor Gonzalez and his 19-year-old daughter, Serenity Gonzalez, dead from gunshot wounds. The case is being investigated as a double homicide.
Jessie Waterman, 15, said the victims, his father and his sister, left their Memphis home after communicating with someone on Facebook Marketplace about buying a PS5 gaming console.
"They were going to get a PlayStation 5 off of Facebook Marketplace ... And something must've happened with the transaction," Waterman said. "From what it looks like, they were trying to flee based on the tracks on the road and the mud on the side of the van."
Waterman said he thinks his father and sister may have attempted to drive off before they lost control of their car, and it left the road. He said family members were told that tire tracks indicated they may have been running from someone, but authorities have not confirmed it.
Waterman believes it was a setup, but no motive was given. However, investigators have not released details about the events that led up to the shooting.
The Panola County Sheriff's Office is now asking for the public's help in gathering information in connection with the double homicide. Anyone with information has been urged to call Crime Stoppers at 662-209-2011.
