Zane Jones, a resident, told the Hurst City Council during public comment that his wife, identified in his remarks as Viola Nunez, was shot on the evening of July 10, 2023, and died hours later. “My wife and I were shot at from another moving vehicle while on Lupe 20. She was shot in the head, and she died a few hours,” Jones said.

Jones said he has repeatedly raised concerns about how Hurst Police Department detectives handled evidence and follow-up and that offers of help from federal agencies were not accepted. He told the council the FBI and the ATF visited after the shooting and offered assistance, and said that, in his view, Hurst PD has “consistently fumbled the ball.”

Why it matters: Jones framed his remarks as a request for accountability and better communication from investigating officers. He pressed the council for help after describing what he called inconsistent communication from detectives and a timeline he believes was incomplete.

Council response and next steps: Council members reminded Jones that, under state law, the council cannot intervene in active criminal investigations. At the meeting the mayor said Captain Mark Bruner of the Hurst Police Department was present and invited Jones to speak with Bruner in the foyer after the meeting; the mayor also referred Jones to the city manager. Jones said he had previously met with Captain Bruner in April 2024 and that communication briefly improved after that meeting.

What Jones asked for and what he claimed: Jones urged the council to escalate concerns about investigative decisions and to accept outside help. He said the Hurst Police Department declined outside assistance and that, in his view, politics and image had been placed above the investigation. “Politics and pride have no place in [my wife’s] murder investigation,” he said.

No formal action: The council did not take formal action on Jones’s request at the meeting. Members reiterated the legal limits on the council’s authority to intervene in police investigations and suggested Jones follow up with the city manager or speak with Captain Bruner directly after the meeting.

Context and clarifications from the meeting: Jones identified the July 10, 2023 shooting date and named his wife. He said he provided route information and other evidence to investigators and that federal agencies had offered to assist. He said communication with one detective left him feeling marginalized and that, after being assigned Captain Bruner as a point of contact, some communications improved but investigative content remained the same.

Where relevant names appeared in the meeting record: Jones addressed the council during the public-comment portion of the meeting. Captain Mark Bruner and an Hurst Police Department assistant chief were referenced in Jones’s remarks and by the mayor during the council’s response. The council advised Jones about legal limits on its involvement and referred him to the city manager and to speak with Captain Bruner after the meeting.