HOUSTON – Bobby Swearington says his cousin, Tyrone Bonner, was an all-around great guy.
“He was very outgoing, into sports, very well rounded, very smart individual,” Swearington told KPRC 2′s Deven Clarke.
Which makes the way Bonner’s life ended at just 37 years old difficult for his family to comprehend.
Around 9 p.m. on March 2, Houston police say 31-year-old Shaymone Fonteneaux went to Bonner’s Willow Ridge apartment home and shot and killed him.
“It makes it very hard because the question is always why. What made her do that? What made her decide to take the life of a father, a brother, a cousin, a son,” Swearington asked.
Fonteneaux is believed to have shot and injured another man who family members say is Bonner’s cousin. Even though she’s been arrested, loved ones are still hoping for closure because the details surrounding the incident are foggy.
Investigators say the cousin, who is also Bonner’s roommate, heard the commotion that night. Police say he ran to find Fonteneaux standing over Bonner with a pistol.
Fearing for his own life, he tried to get away - but police say Fonteneaux shot him, too. He survived and is recovering.
Swearington, who owns Fort Bend Memorial Planning Center, says having to plan the funeral for his cousin who didn’t survive is heart-wrenching.
“It really crushed our family, and you know, we really want answers at this point,” he says.
According to police, Fonteneaux went to the apartment the night of the shooting to speak to Bonner, but it’s not clear what their relationship was, or what led up to the gunfire.
She’s charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and murder. Her bond is set at $130,000.
Bonner will be laid to rest at Swearington’s funeral home on Saturday.