Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith speaks in April during a news conference. Smith held a news conference Monday at the sheriff’s office in downtown Tyler to provide an update on a trail ride, concert event over the weekend that left two people shot.

Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith is pleading for the community to follow proper protocols after a trail ride resulted in a shooting this weekend.

The trail ride, held Saturday night in the northwestern part of the county, resulted in two people being shot and three arrests. The victims were transferred to nearby hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, Smith said.

The following suspects were arrested on scene, and authorities are pursuing leads to charge others:

Sir Ricardel Oritz, 29, of Tyler: Deadly conduct discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; released on $20,000 bond

Israel Allen Ortiz, 27, of Tyler: Deadly conduct discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, parole violation; released on $20,000 bond

Jakeithon Marcilous Medlock, 26, of Tyler: Deadly conduct discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; released on $20,000 bond

All three were convicted felons, Smith said.

This isn’t the first time a trail ride has resulted in shots fired, as five people, including a 13-year-old, were shot during a trail ride off FM 2767 in June 2022. Also in July 2020, four people were shot during a trail ride event in Rusk County.

“We’re not trying to stop anybody from having fun,” Smith said during a press conference Monday. “But each and every time one of these trail ride concert combination events happens, just almost every time, you can set your clock by it, it’s gonna have a shooting. Undesirable people ruin the fun for everybody else. … All three (currently arrested suspects) were convicted felons. That’s what this breeds. And it’s unfortunate for the people who are trying to have fun, have their children out there, ride horses, go on a trail ride, and then this happens.”

Smith said investigators are working diligently to make more arrests.

“If there’s any charge that we can find to charge them with, absolutely they will be charged,” Smith said. “… We’re going to do our due diligence and they might as well get ready for it.”

At least 500 people attended the event, Smith said. A flyer promoting the concert lists “Blakwess” as the organizer, said security would be enforced, invited children 10 and under for free entry, and said it would not be “responsible for any thefts or accidents.”

Smith said there were two “so-called” security guards but they appeared to be just collecting money.

Smith said a major issue is the sheriff’s office had no idea the event was happening until shots had already been fired during the concert portion of the event that night. Gates to the event opened around noon with the first trail ride beginning at 3 p.m., according to a flyer for the event.

Law enforcement got involved immediately after Smith County 911 dispatch received a call around 9:40 p.m. Saturday about several people fighting and two people being shot. The caller said gunshots were still being fired as they made the call, according to Smith.

The first shooting was reported to have happened in the parking lot of Spring Creek Baptist Church at 13915 County Road 46 in Tyler.

As the first deputy arrived on scene, with witnesses and a shooting victim, the dispatcher advised him of additional shots fired behind the church near the cemetery, and another person had been shot, Smith said.

Due to the large number of vehicles and people trying to leave the area, deputies had to drive between the cemetery and the church as attendees blocked the path for the emergency vehicles.

A stage had been set up for a concert and a second person had been shot near that area, according to the responding deputies.

They heard four to six gunshots from a field to the right of the stage, with an additional three shots.

A group of witnesses directed the arriving deputies to where gunshots were heard.

As the deputies advanced further into the area, they spotted three individuals walking away who then attempted to hide behind a vehicle.

They did not comply with the deputies’ orders and threw guns behind the vehicle.

The suspects, later identified as Israel Ortiz, Sir Ortiz, and Medlock, all had blood on their clothing and were detained. They were not injured and the amount of blood on their clothing suggests it was the victims’ blood, Smith said.

The deputies recovered four handguns from behind the vehicle.

All three suspects posted bond.

Smith said the shell casings recovered are being tested by firearms experts against the guns recovered from the scene.

According to Smith, prior to this event, no trail ride permits were requested or given. There are multiple processes an organizer must go through to lawfully put on an event such as this, Smith said.

“I can promise you this, if we know about it, it’ll be stopped before it starts,” Smith said, in regards to dangerous circumstances at events without proper clearance. “… We’ll use every statute we can to make sure it stops. … We had no idea this thing was going on until the gunfire.”

Smith said authorities are looking into more details, including more witnesses, as well as who owned the property and the actions of the event coordinators.

Multiple agencies were involved, including Texas Parks and Wildlife, Game Wardens, Tyler Police Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office, Bullard Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol.

“We would like to thank these agencies for their assistance,” Smith said.