Matthew Davis GoFundMe raises more than $23,000 in wake of Sonic restaurant worker’s fatal shooting

A Sonic restaurant employee, Matthew Davis, was fatally shot by a 12-year-old on Saturday, May 13. In the wake of his tragic death, a GofundMe created to help Davis’ mother pay for her son’s funeral expenses has raised over $23,000, surpassing its initial goal of $16,500.

Multiple reports stated that the incident occurred when Matthew Davis, a 32-year-old Texas Sonic restaurant worker, initially confronted a belligerent customer after he was found vandalizing the parking lot. The initial confrontation between Davis and the suspect, identified as Angel Gomez, 20, reportedly escalated into a physical tussle outside the restaurant parking lot.

While the two continued to wrestle, the suspect’s co-passenger, a 12-year-old boy, retrieved a firearm from their car and shot the Sonic employee multiple times before fleeing the scene with Gomez.

Authorities said that officers responding to the scene at 9.30 p.m. found Davis lying in the parking lot after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. Davis was reportedly airlifted to Harris Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

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Matthew Davis leaves behind a 10-year-old son

On Monday, May 15, authorities announced that Angel Gomez and the 12-year-old boy were charged with the murder of Matthew Davis. Gomez was taken into custody shortly after he returned to the crime scene. The 12-year-old boy was reportedly found in Rio Vista, where officers arrested him and recovered several firearms. The juvenile was taken to a detention center in Granbury, Texas.

The fundraiser created on behalf of Matthew Davis’ mother, Leigh Anne, said that the victim leaves behind a 10-year-old son. The page stated:

“Mathew leaves behind an impressionable 10-year-old son. Leigh Anne is a strong woman of faith, dedicated and hardworking. It is imperative that we come together to support her during this unimaginable time of loss. Please consider donating any amount to help ease the financial burden for the final arrangements that this horrific act of violence has caused.”

As of Tuesday, the page has raised more than $23,000 from over 600 donors who swarmed the site to render financial aid to the grieving mother. Many also expressed their sympathies over the devastating loss suffered by the family.

The Sonic restaurant in Texas also issued a statement condoling the death of their employee. They said:

“We were saddened to learn about the tragedy involving a franchised team member in Keene, TX. The franchisee is cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation."

In a similar incident, a California teen was arrested in connection with a shooting on Friday, May 12, that killed a 16-year-old boy and injured another. The teen suspect, charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm, was accused of shooting the victims following a minor altercation.