On February 5, 2023, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Garland police and fire departments responded to reports of a vehicle crashing into the Peachtree Square Apartments located in the 4600 block of Saturn Road. Upon arrival, first responders discovered the vehicle ablaze and initiated evacuations of nearby apartments as the fire began to spread. Inside the vehicle, authorities found two individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.
Both were transported to a local hospital, where 22-year-old Quincy Lee Branch of Dallas was pronounced dead. The second victim, a 19-year-old male from Fort Worth, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was expected to recover.
The investigation led Garland police to identify two juvenile suspects from Dallas, aged 14 and 15. On March 1, 2023, detectives filed murder charges against the 14-year-old, who was already in custody on an unrelated charge. Subsequently, the 15-year-old suspect was also apprehended and charged with murder. Both juveniles were detained at the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center. Due to their ages, authorities withheld their names and photographs.
The circumstances leading to the shooting and subsequent crash remained under investigation. Authorities did not disclose a motive or the relationship between the suspects and the victims. Residents of the apartment complex were startled by the incident, with some witnessing the immediate aftermath, including one resident who reported seeing an individual exit the vehicle and flee the scene. Garland police continued to seek information from the public to aid in their investigation.
