Two 18-year-old men were shot in the upper body early Sunday morning during an underage drinking party.
According to an Odessa Police Department report, officers learned about a party in the 4000 block of Candy Lane around 1:20 a.m. Sunday and when they arrived, they started speaking with Ryan Gene Phillips, 39, who said he owned the home. While speaking with him, they saw gun fire coming from the home, forced their way inside and saw roughly 20 underage minors consuming alcohol.
They also found two people had been shot. One of the injured, Tremayne Baty, 18, was booked into the Ector County jail on suspicion of unlawful carry of a weapon, a misdemeanor, after being treated at a local hospital. He remains in the jail on a $2,000 surety bond.
The second teenager remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to an OPD news release. A Medical Center Hospital spokesman said he is in the intensive care unit.
OPD Cpl. Steve LeSueur said neither teenager is cooperating with the authorities, but they know the two were arguing with each other when the gunfire broke out.
After obtaining a search warrant, officers found “copious” amounts of alcohol in the house and on the property, an OPD report stated. They also found a .22 caliber rifle and and .380 pistol inside a safe, the report stated.
Phillips was arrested on suspicion of violating the city’s social host ordinance and purchasing/furnishing alcohol to minors, both misdemeanors. Because he has three prior felony convictions, he was also arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, the report stated.
Phillips remains in the Ector County jail on a U.S. Marshal’s hold and surety bonds totaling $12,000.
An investigation is ongoing and once complete, the case will be presented to the Ector County District’s Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with further information is encouraged to call the Odessa Police Department or submit a tip to Crimestoppers.
