Man charged with murder after deadly shooting at Oklahoma bar

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Summary: Coby Ward, 29, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, died from gunshot wounds suffered inside a Rockdale, Texas bar late on April 17, 2026. Raymond McBride Jr., 23, of Rockdale, is charged with first-degree murder in the case. Hospitalized in critical condition, Ward passed away April 20. McBride was initially held on aggravated assault before prosecutors upgraded the charge after the death. He has posted a $750,000 bond and been released, reports say.

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ROCKDALE, Texas — A 23-year-old Rockdale resident is now facing a first-degree murder charge after a man from Oklahoma died from gunshot wounds sustained inside a local bar late last week.

The incident began shortly before midnight on April 17 when Rockdale police received multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired at Boogie’s Texas Bar & Grill on South Wilcox Street. Officers arriving at the scene located a single gunshot victim inside the establishment. He was identified as Coby Ward, 28, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Ward was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.

Over the following hours, investigators reviewed statements from people at the bar and examined surveillance video from the premises. That evidence identified Raymond James McBride Jr. as the sole suspect in the shooting. Early the next morning, on April 18, officers obtained a warrant and took McBride into custody without incident on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. He posted bond and was released.

Ward remained hospitalized until Monday, April 20, when he died from his injuries. Prosecutors then upgraded the case. Investigators secured a murder warrant the same day. McBride surrendered peacefully to authorities at the Milam County Jail that evening and was booked on the new first-degree felony murder charge.

The sequence of events moved quickly from the initial response to the bar, through the identification of the suspect via witness statements and video, to the formal filing of murder charges once the victim’s death was confirmed. McBride later posted a $750,000 bond and was released from custody.

No further details about the circumstances leading to the shooting have been released by authorities.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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