A Van Zandt County sheriff’s deputy was killed and a Canton police officer was severely wounded on Tuesday night, October 20, 2026, when a man wanted on two felony warrants opened fire from inside a home south of Canton, Texas. Sheriff Kevin Bridger said Friday that the gunman fired more than 800 rounds at law enforcement during the shootout.
TL;DR: Deputies and Canton officers went to a home on State Highway 198 south of Canton at about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday to contact 42-year-old Mi Van Nguyen, who was wanted on felony warrants. Bridger said Nguyen opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle, killing Deputy Ahmed “Adam” Sherifi and severely wounding Officer Chris Watson. Nguyen was later found dead inside the home. The Texas Rangers are investigating, and no motive has been released.
A warrant service turns deadly
Van Zandt County deputies were assisting the Canton Police Department on Tuesday night with serving two felony arrest warrants, according to the sheriff’s office. The warrants, issued by Canton police, were for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault on a peace officer.
Officers arrived at the home in the 4300 block of State Highway 198, south of Canton, at about 10:20 p.m. and tried to make contact with Nguyen. Instead, shots rang out from inside the residence toward deputies and officers outside, the sheriff’s office said. Law enforcement returned fire during what Bridger described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
Sherifi was fatally wounded and pronounced dead at the scene. Watson, who had joined the Canton department about two months earlier after working for the sheriff’s office, was shot and flown to a hospital in Plano for surgery.
“800 rounds”: what the sheriff revealed Friday
The identities of the gunman and the wounded officer, and the scale of the gunfire, were not public in the first days after the shooting. That changed at an emotional news conference outside the sheriff’s office on Friday, October 23, where Bridger named Nguyen and said he had fired more than 800 rounds at officers from inside the home.
“Think about that. 800 rounds shot at the men and women whose only purpose was to carry out their duties to protect this community,” Bridger said, as reported by Focal News. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported the same account from the briefing.
Bridger described the shooting as an attack on the safety of Van Zandt County residents and said the incident was isolated, with no continuing threat. He did not take questions from reporters, and he gave no information about a possible motive.
One key question remains unanswered: how Nguyen received the gunshot wound that killed him. Investigators have not explained whether it came from officers’ return fire or was self-inflicted, and the 800-round figure is the sheriff’s account rather than an independently verified ballistic total.
Remembering Deputy Sherifi
Sherifi’s widow and mother attended Friday’s briefing, surrounded by fellow deputies. Bridger honored the fallen deputy in terms that drew a sharp line between the night’s violence and Sherifi’s career.
“Where one man chose violence, Adam chose a life of service,” Bridger said. He added: “We’re all family. Our officers. Our deputies, our dispatchers. Everybody’s hurting, everybody.”
Friends, relatives, neighbors and local leaders had gathered outside the Van Zandt County courthouse on Wednesday to pray for Sherifi’s family. County Judge Joshua Winters told those gathered, “It is not tragedy that binds us together, it’s faith.”
Officer Watson’s long road back
Watson was reported stable and recovering after surgery in the days following the shooting. On Friday, October 24, Canton police said he had been released from the hospital, according to Focal News. He is expected to undergo another surgery and faces a lengthy recovery, but police clarified that he is not in danger of losing his arm.
The Texas Rangers continue to investigate the shooting. Until their findings are released, the motive, the source of Nguyen’s fatal wound, and the precise tally of rounds fired remain open questions in a case that has shaken a small East Texas county.
Sources: NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth; Focal News (Dallas); Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office briefing, October 23, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened near Canton, Texas, on Tuesday night?
Deputies and Canton officers went to a home south of Canton at about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to contact a man wanted on two felony warrants. Sheriff Kevin Bridger said the man opened fire from inside with a semiautomatic rifle, killing Deputy Ahmed “Adam” Sherifi and severely wounding Officer Chris Watson.
Who was the gunman?
Sheriff Bridger identified the gunman at a news conference on Friday, October 23, as 42-year-old Mi Van Nguyen. Nguyen was wanted on warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault on a peace officer. He was later found dead inside the home from a gunshot wound.
How many rounds did the sheriff say were fired?
Sheriff Bridger said Nguyen fired more than 800 rounds at law enforcement. That figure is the sheriff’s account, as reported by NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth; investigators have not publicly explained how the rounds were counted.
Who was Deputy Adam Sherifi?
Deputy Ahmed “Adam” Sherifi served with the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office. He was fatally wounded during the warrant service and pronounced dead at the scene. He is survived by his wife and young children, and colleagues and community members have described him as a deputy who chose a life of service.
What happened to Officer Chris Watson?
Canton Police Officer Chris Watson was severely wounded in the same exchange of gunfire. He underwent surgery and was later released from the hospital, police said on Friday, October 24. He is expected to need another surgery and faces a long recovery, but police said he is not in danger of losing his arm.
Where exactly did the shooting happen?
The shooting happened at a home in the 4300 block of State Highway 198, south of Canton, Texas, in Van Zandt County. Deputies were assisting Canton police with the warrant service when shots were fired from inside the home toward officers outside.
Is anyone else in danger?
No. Sheriff Bridger described the incident as isolated and said Nguyen no longer posed a threat. There is no indication that any other suspect is being sought in connection with the shooting.
Who is investigating the shooting?
The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting, which is standard practice for officer-involved shootings in Texas. Authorities have not released information about a possible motive, and the sheriff did not take questions from reporters at the October 23 news conference.
How did the sheriff describe the attack?
At the news conference, Bridger called the shooting an attack on Van Zandt County residents and said, “Think about that. 800 rounds shot at the men and women whose only purpose was to carry out their duties.” He honored Sherifi, saying, “Where one man chose violence, Adam chose a life of service.”
What is still not known?
Investigators have not said how Nguyen received his fatal gunshot wound, what motive he may have had, or how the rounds were tallied. Those questions remain open.
