Canton Travel Plaza employee shot
Rudolph Chestang
About 4 p.m. June 14, an irate man walked into the Canton Travel Center on I-20 at the 533 exit and shot one of the store’s employees.
D.J. Stevenson, identified on social media as the center’s maintenance man, was shot in the stomach. He remains in a Tyler hospital, He has undergone two surgeries and more are expected.
The alleged shooter was arrested a short time later at the Circle K convenience story at I-20 and Hwy. 19. He has been identified as 30-year-old Rudolph Chestang of Arlington.
Eye witness Chris Sanders of Tyler filmed the incident on his cell phone. He said Chestang was a passenger in a black Suburban and seemed to be arguing with one of the store’s employees.
Social media accounts indicate Chestang was intoxicated and had been asked to leave the premises.
Sanders said he saw Chestang go inside the store and came back out to the Suburban. An employee of the center came out and told Chestang to leave. Chestang then asked the driver for a gun, walked back into the store – all the while gesturing and yelling wildly – and then shot the employee.
The gunshot can be heard on Chestang’s cell phone video.
“I almost got out to run in to tell them he had a gun,” Sanders said. “Then I heard the shot and he came running out.”
The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office said Chestang was identified “after an identification by investigators from video surveillance.”
During the book-in process, Chestang was found to be in possession of marijuana.
He is being held on attempted murder and prohibited items in a correctional facility charges.
Chestang also faces a charge of failure to identify/giving false or fictitious information from Tarrant County with no bond set on that charge.
As of presstime June 16, he had not been arraigned on the Van Zandt County charges.About 4 p.m. June 14, an irate man walked into the Canton Travel Center on I-20 at the 533 exit and shot one of the store’s employees.
D.J. Stevenson, identified on social media as the center’s maintenance man, was shot in the stomach. He remains in a Tyler hospital, He has undergone two surgeries and more are expected.
The alleged shooter was arrested a short time later at the Circle K convenience story at I-20 and Hwy. 19. He has been identified as 30-year-old Rudolph Chestang of Arlington.
Eye witness Chris Sanders of Tyler filmed the incident on his cell phone. He said Chestang was a passenger in a black Suburban and seemed to be arguing with one of the store’s employees.
Social media accounts indicate Chestang was intoxicated and had been asked to leave the premises.
Sanders said he saw Chestang go inside the store and came back out to the Suburban. An employee of the center came out and told Chestang to leave. Chestang then asked the driver for a gun, walked back into the store – all the while gesturing and yelling wildly – and then shot the employee.
The gunshot can be heard on Chestang’s cell phone video.
“I almost got out to run in to tell them he had a gun,” Sanders said. “Then I heard the shot and he came running out.”
The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office said Chestang was identified “after an identification by investigators from video surveillance.”
During the book-in process, Chestang was found to be in possession of marijuana.
He is being held on attempted murder and prohibited items in a correctional facility charges.
Chestang also faces a charge of failure to identify/giving false or fictitious information from Tarrant County with no bond set on that charge.
As of presstime June 16, he had not been arraigned on the Van Zandt County charges.
