The man accused of shooting and injuring three people at the fair in 2023 reached a plea agreement before his trial was set to begin, officials say.
DALLAS — The man suspected of shooting and injuring three people at the State Fair of Texas in 2023 reached a plea agreement Monday just before jury selection was set to begin in his trial, according to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
Cameron Turner was sentenced to 12 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges and 10 years in prison for unlawfully carrying a firearm in a prohibited place, according to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. The sentences will run concurrently.
The plea agreement was reached as jury selection in Turner’s trial was set to get underway tomorrow.
Turner was initially indicted on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the Oct. 14, 2023, shooting in a food court at the fair in November of 2023, as WFAA previously reported.
Turner told police he was trying to protect his family when he was approached by “a group of big males,” went into “defense mode” and fired 3-4 shots, according to an affidavit shortly after the shooting.
The three people who were shot were identified by police as Cade Kelly, Stephen Wright and Andrea Silva.
Video footage of the incident reportedly showed Turner buying a water bottle from a concession stand in the food court before he was approached by a group of men, according to the affidavit.
Turner exchanged words with Kelly when he turned to leave the concession stand, police said in the affidavit, then Turner reached for a handgun and fired shots at Kelly.
Turner fled the scene before being arrested by two state troopers and a Dallas police officer, as WFAA previously reported.
It remains unclear how the gun was brought into the fair.
After the shooting, the State Fair of Texas banned most people from bringing guns to the fair, prompting a lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — whose attempts to reverse the ban were struck down by the Texas Supreme Court ahead of the 2024 State Fair of Texas.
State lawmakers also considered a bill this legislative session that ultimately didn’t pass, but would have forbidden the State Fair of Texas from banning people with concealed handgun licenses from carrying their firearms at the fairgrounds.