Authorities are investigating the Thursday night incident as a possible murder-suicide on San Antonio’s Far North Side.
SAN ANTONIO, TX — A man and a woman were found dead late Thursday inside an apartment in the Stone Oak area after an argument and gunfire were reported, according to San Antonio police and fire officials. First responders arrived around 8:45 p.m. to the 20000 block of Stone Oak Parkway and pronounced both people dead at the scene.
Police said the case remains under investigation but early findings indicate the shooting may have been a murder-suicide. The Bexar County Medical Examiner on Friday identified the man as Vernon Andrews Bonillas, 59, and the woman as Julie Katherine Harrell, 60. Officials said Bonillas died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and Harrell died from multiple gunshot wounds. Detectives said the two were possibly in a dating relationship. Authorities emphasized there was no immediate threat to the public and that the incident appeared isolated to the apartment.
Officers were dispatched after a woman called 911 to report hearing an argument next door followed by gunshots. Police said the caller went into the apartment and saw Bonillas with an apparent self-inflicted wound and Harrell unresponsive on the floor. San Antonio Fire Department crews and EMS also responded. “Based on what we have right now, this appears to be a murder-suicide,” a police spokesperson said late Thursday. Investigators recovered a firearm inside the unit and canvassed the complex for witnesses and surveillance footage as crime scene technicians processed the apartment overnight.
On Friday, the medical examiner ruled Harrell’s death a homicide and Bonillas’ death a suicide. SAPD said detectives are working to confirm the sequence of events and to determine a motive. The department said it was not seeking additional suspects. The apartment is part of The Abbey at Stone Oak complex just west of U.S. Highway 281, a busy corridor of multifamily housing and retail on the city’s Far North Side. Neighbors described routine evening traffic in the area as officers blocked the entrance and taped off a section of the parking lot while investigators moved in and out of the second-floor unit.
Records show officers were called to the scene shortly after 8:30 p.m., with the initial caller reporting raised voices before shots were fired. Police on Friday said the pair may have been in a romantic relationship, but did not detail how long they had known each other. Officials declined to release additional background information, citing the ongoing investigation and next-of-kin notifications. Detectives planned to review ballistic evidence, interview other residents who were home at the time, and collect any relevant video from exterior cameras and building security systems.
The Stone Oak area has seen a mix of residential growth and sporadic violent incidents over the past year, though officials stressed Friday that preliminary evidence points to a domestic situation confined to the apartment. Residents who passed by the complex Friday morning described a heavy overnight police presence and spotlights illuminating the breezeways. One neighbor said the couple kept to themselves and that the man was occasionally seen working on a car in the parking area. By midday, most police units had cleared the complex, leaving a small team to wrap up the scene.
Police said the homicide unit will compile its findings for review and that any further updates would come after additional interviews and laboratory reports. No public briefing had been scheduled as of Friday afternoon. The department said investigators would note whether prior disturbance calls were tied to the apartment once records checks are complete. The medical examiner’s office will finalize autopsy reports in the coming days and provide certified determinations of cause and manner of death for both individuals.
As of Friday evening, the investigation was active, with SAPD saying it did not expect to release more details before the weekend. The next update is likely after detectives finish interviews and evidence testing early next week.
Author note: Last updated December 12, 2025.