NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – A New Braunfels business is raising money to help with the recovery process for one of their own who also serves as a Comal County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
Deputy Eddy Luna was shot while trying to serve an arrest warrant on Aug. 20 and has since undergone several surgeries.
For several years, Luna has worked at both the department and as security for Woods Cycle Country.
“We have been here since 2006,” said Mark Sheffield, with Woods Cycle Country. “When we first opened the first year, we had a large Christmas party, and some said we should hire security to help with the parking lot and to make sure everything stayed in an organized manner. Eddy Luna was a deputy who spent a lot of time in the dealership, so I asked him if he knew someone.”
Luna ended up working with the business every year for the last 14 years.
“Not only has he become a good friend but a good customer as well,” Sheffield said. “I believe he has bought about six motorcycles from us, so he’s definitely an avid motorcycle rider.”
Sheffield said Luna is someone everyone considers a good friend.
“He is just one of those guys that you can depend on if you are ever in a bind,” Sheffield said. “He is one of those people for me, and it is not just me. A lot of our employees at the dealership have known and become friends with him. You can walk around the store and find 15 people who know his cellphone number. Everybody is his friend. People see him as the best police have to offer.”
Sheffield said he was at home watching a movie with his wife when his phone began to blow up with messages.
“I had about 12 missed texts on my phone where everybody in town was letting me know that Eddy had been shot,” Sheffield said. “Time kind of slowed down at that point in time as we tried to figure out what was going on, what his situation was. And pretty quickly, the community moved to do what they could to support Eddy.”
Officials say Brian Sharp, 59, shot Luna.
“(Luna) sustained a shotgun blast to his arm, and essentially it took out a big piece of his muscle and bone,” Sheffield said. “He had been through, I think, seven surgeries with doctors trying to save his arm. They finally made the decision to amputate it.”
Despite going through what many would consider a traumatizing incident, Sheffield said Luna is staying positive.
“I was able to talk to him, and the guy had just been shot, and the guy has lost a piece of him that he’s had for the last 50 years,” Sheffield said. “He’s in as good of a mood as anybody could be. His primary goal is to get better and to get out of the hospital.”
Like the rest of the community, the business also stepped up.
“He is a great friend and customer, and so we wanted to be able to donate more money to his cause,” Sheffield said. “We wanted to raise awareness about him in the community, so we are calling Sept. 5 Luna Day as a precursor to Labor Day. We are going to make a donation for every vehicle we sell that day to go towards recovery efforts, and we had an anonymous donor who matched our donations. So for every vehicle we sell, we will now be able to donate $500 to Eddy.”
Sheffield said the goal is to reach $10,000.
“This could go toward any medical expenses his insurance may not cover,” Sheffield said. “This could help with getting a prosthetic arm or vehicle customization so he can be able to drive with one hand.”
Sheffield said Luna is planning to retire soon and has served in the Army. On his downtime, Luna is known for liking real loud rock music.
“He would go to lots of concerts to listen to that loud music,” Sheffield said with a laugh. “I am surprised that he could still hear anybody. Maybe he will spend a little of the money he gets here on some hearing aids,” he joked.
Doors for the event open at 9 a.m. on Sept. 5 at Woods Cycle Country.
“I am glad that Eddy is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. We have maybe a little less of Eddie,” Sheffield said jokingly. “But, still, most of him will be there, and I don’t think this is going to change his outlook on mankind or the future or New Braunfels. He is still going to be a pillar of the community. He’s a good guy. He’s got a great attitude, and losing a part of his arm and one of his hands isn’t going to stop that from being a reality.”