According to police, on Friday night in St. The suspect in a deadly shooting at a homecoming football game in Martinville was taken into custody while on the run in Texas.

St. St. Martinsville Police Chief Ricky Martin said Saturday. He said Zackyric Gardner, 22, of Martinville, was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder in Jefferson County, Texas, near Beaumont.

Gardner was out on bail in connection with a previous Lafayette murder case, Martin said. Gardner’s bail in Texas was set at $10 million.

Martin said Gardner is believed to have been in an “ongoing argument” with Deiondre Benjamin, the victim of Friday night’s shooting. St. When the two men met in a field outside the football stadium before the game between Martinsville and Erath, a verbal argument quickly turned violent.

Gunshots were heard minutes before kickoff and Gardner was believed to have fired six shots, Martin said. Benjamin was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardner fled on foot before getting into a personal vehicle, and police used surveillance footage to capture the vehicle’s license plate, Martin said.

Three hours later, he was found getting into a car on Interstate 10 near Beaumont.

“He wasn’t supposed to have a gun or be out of state,” Martin said, referring to the terms of Gardner’s previous bail order.

The conflict took place in an area where partygoers gathered throughout the day.

St. Martinville cheerleaders and players on one side of the field ran wildly toward the stands as mayhem broke out. Rumors spread quickly in the stands and in the press box that Benjamin had been killed.

Multiple helicopters circled the field, which straddles Bayou Teche along La. 31.

St. Martinville High School Principal Jonathan Lane entered the press box shortly after the gunshots were heard and asked all fans to remain in the stadium, and officials closed the entrances and exits of the stadium for about an hour.

Less than 10 minutes after the incident, Erath players, coaches, band and spirit staff, and fans rushed with their gear to their buses lined up beyond the stadium’s end zone, where officials remained until 8 p.m. allowed people to leave the field.

“District-level administration and school officials, as well as the district’s member principals, have declared the game a no-contest and will not be played,” Vermilion Parish superintendent Tommy Byler told The Acadiana Advocate in a text message.

“We were there to play a football game and there was an altercation outside the stadium,” Erath coach Eric LeBlanc said. “We followed protocol and did what was necessary to keep children safe.

“There’s a lot of emotion going on right now. This was a district game. It’s unfortunate for St. Martinville and for us not to be able to play.”

Correspondent Mike Coppage contributed to this story.