A Dallas man, Dionate Desmond Banks, aged 31, was sentenced to 63 years in prison after being found guilty of murder for fatally shooting Gregory Shead, a 24-year-old father of two daughters, at a west Houston bowling alley in 2022. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced the sentencing late Friday.
The incident occurred on August 14, 2022, outside a bowling alley on Bunker Hill, where Banks and Shead were with separate groups. As both groups were leaving, women from the different groups confronted each other and a small fight broke out.
During the altercation, Banks shot Shead in the back and then in the head, resulting in his death.
“We know that people are going to have arguments, they are going to have fights, but it is never appropriate to use a gun to settle an argument,” Ogg said. “The victim’s family lost a beloved family member and two little girls lost their father, and the right result in this case is that the killer spends decades in prison.”
Surveillance footage captured the incident, showing Shead attempting to de-escalate the situation at least twice, including by walking out to his car. When one of the women hit Shead's aunt, he ran back to her aid and again became involved in the fight. At that moment, Banks steps forward with a pistol and shoots Shead in the back, striking his heart. Shead then fell and Bank shot him in the head.
Banks attempted to claim self-defense on social media following the shooting. During the interview with Houston Police Investigators, Banks made up facts about the incident because he did not realize it had been captured on video. However, he was ultimately convicted after a six-day trial.
Assistant District Attorneys Keegan Childers and Billy Morian prosecuted the case, requesting a 63-year sentence for Banks. The jury returned with the same verdict, considering factors such as Shead's potential lifespan and Banks' lack of remorse and accountability.
“This defendant always tries to play the victim, and there is never any accountability or remorse, including when he testified,” Childers said. “This man has no sense of right and wrong.”
Morian said that the prison sentence was based on a formula that included the fact that Shead would have likely lived to be 77 years old, which is 53 more years of life.
They also asked jurors to add five more years because Banks tried to avoid any responsibility when he testified and add five years on top of that for the way he taunted Shead’s friends and family on social media after the shooting.
“We asked for 63 years and they returned with the verdict of 63 years, which is appropriate in this case,” Morian said. “The victim’s family has been present throughout the trial, and it is just heartbreaking to see what they have gone through.”
Banks will be eligible for parole after serving at least 30 years in prison under Texas law.
