North Texas grand jury declines criminal charges in killing of homeless veteran
A Denton County grand jury on Tuesday declined to indict a man in connection with the fatal Aug. 9 shooting of a person experiencing homelessness, officials said in a statement.
Jon Robert Ruff, 61, was killed in the Denton downtown square after an “altercation” with the man who shot him, police said. The shooter, a patron of the downtown square, was with his family when the altercation began and cooperated with police during the investigation.
Police do not believe the men knew each other.
Ruff was known to busk in the square with his guitar, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle. In the months prior to his death, he struggled to recover from back surgery while experiencing homelessness.
Ruff was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and earned a computer science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, according to his obituary.
About 150 people attended a vigil for Ruff in the downtown square days after the shooting, according to the Record-Chronicle.
“As the grand jury has reviewed the facts of the case and declined to formally charge the person with a crime, the department’s investigation is closed,” police said in a statement Tuesday. “Denton PD respects the grand jury’s decision and extends condolences to Ruff’s family, friends, and loved ones.”
