Traci Lynn Reedy, a 48-year-old woman from Irving, Texas, tragically lost her life on November 25, 2013. She was staying at the Microtel Inn & Suites in Irving with her husband and teenage son when a single bullet fired from an adjoining hotel room pierced the wall and struck her in the chest. The incident occurred around 1:00 a.m. while Reedy was propped up in bed watching television. Despite being rushed to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, she succumbed to her injuries.
Reedy's husband and son, who were present in the room at the time, were not injured.
The bullet that killed Traci Lynn Reedy was fired by Michael Shane Gray, a 36-year-old man from Dallas, who was in the adjacent hotel room with a woman. According to the police, Gray was handling a handgun when it accidentally discharged, sending a single shot through the wall and into Reedy's room. Gray was subsequently charged with criminally negligent homicide, a charge that Reedy's family found insufficient. Reedy's father, George Morris, expressed his dissatisfaction with the charge, stating that he did not believe the shooting was an accident and wanted to know what was happening in the next room before the gun was fired.
Investigators determined that there was no argument between Gray and the woman in his room prior to the shooting. No illegal drugs or paraphernalia were found in Gray's room, although prescription drugs were present. The woman who was with Gray was questioned and released without facing any charges. Other guests at the hotel reported hearing the gunshot, followed by screaming and chaos. The incident left the hotel community in shock, with one guest, Bryan Surrett, expressing his sadness and praying for Reedy's family.
Traci Lynn Reedy's death was a devastating loss for her family, who described her as a kind and caring person who lived for her two sons and parents. Her family had been living at the motel for several weeks, hoping to move into an apartment by Thanksgiving. The criminally negligent homicide charge against Michael Shane Gray carried a potential sentence of up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Gray declined interview requests following the incident, and the woman who was with him was not expected to face any charges.
