A Texas man has been indicted for murder after his girlfriend died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to law enforcement authorities.
Brandon Chretien, 44, was initially charged with aggravated assault with a weapon causing brain injury or paralysis following the June 6 shooting of 25-year-old Tammy Dawson. The charge was later upgraded after Dawson died from her injuries.
The shooting occurred at Chretien’s residence on Heartfield Lane in Beaumont, a city in East Texas.
Police officers arrived at the home at about 2:40 a.m. after receiving reports that someone had been shot, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by local news outlets KFDM.
Officers found Dawson inside a closet with a gunshot wound to her head, police said. She was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital with a traumatic brain injury and was initially listed in critical condition.
Authorities said Dawson was subsequently left in a vegetative state. She died the following day. Friends and relatives have remembered the young woman as a caring person who had much to offer those around her.
“She was the embodiment of love,” a friend told 12News Now. “That girl had so much to give.” Investigators said Chretien and Dawson were in a romantic relationship at the time of the shooting.
According to the charging document, Chretien called 911 and told the dispatcher that he and Dawson had been struggling over a firearm. He reportedly claimed that Dawson was shot in the head at some point during the struggle.
Responding officers said they discovered the handgun believed to have been used in the shooting on a bedside table.
Law enforcement officials later determined that Dawson’s injury was not self-inflicted. Investigators believe the available evidence indicates that Chretien fired the shot, though police have not released full details about the evidence supporting that conclusion.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Police remained at the Heartfield Lane residence for several hours following the shooting, collecting evidence and taking photographs. Beaumont Animal Care was also contacted to remove a small dog from the property, according to KFDM.
Chretien was arrested and booked into the Jefferson County Correctional Facility. He remains in custody on a $1 million bond.
During his first court appearance following the arrest, Magistrate Richard Hughes set the bond and imposed several conditions that would apply if Chretien were released.
Those conditions include GPS monitoring, a ban on possessing firearms or ammunition and an order prohibiting him from contacting or communicating with witnesses connected to the case.
The murder indictment represents a formal accusation and does not constitute a finding of guilt. Chretien is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless convicted in court.