Tragedy struck at San Antonio's Historic Market Square during the weekend's Fiesta celebrations, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and leaving four others injured. In a violent exchange late Saturday night, an 18-year-old identified as Mikey Valdez and a 20-year-old man fatally shot each other, according to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus. Valdez, after allegedly opening fire, was fatally shot by police as he attempted to flee the scene. FOX San Antonio reported that the chaotic incident unfolded right in the middle of a bustling crowd at the Fiesta event.
As officers patrolled near Conch Alley, they heard gunfire and observed Valdez running away. The pursuit quickly escalated as Valdez supposedly turned to shoot at his pursuer, fatally harming him before police intervened to return fire. Both Valdez and the 20-year-old man were pronounced dead, one at the scene and the other after being transported to the hospital, respectively. "We have a very busy crime scene here. We had two individuals open fire on each other right in the middle of Margarita Alley," Chief McManus said during a briefing on the incident, as reported by FOX San Antonio.
Four bystanders sustained injuries in the chaos that ensued. Two women were shot amidst the gunfire, but both are expected to make a complete recovery. Two others also injured received treatment at the scene. Amid the ensuing pandemonium, local vendor Fermin Suarez, whose booth was merely feet from where the shooting occurred, told KENS 5, “Everybody is running, ducking, diving." Suarez alongside another individual managed to assist one of the shot women by pulling her to safety.
The aftermath of the shooting has devastated families and the community. Gabrielle Rodriguez, the mother of Mikey Valdez, is demanding answers from the San Antonio Police Department. In a harrowing account, she described how her son laid "gasping for air" as officers handcuffed him without providing immediate medical assistance. “I’m seeing a video of my son laying on the floor, gasping for air," Rodriguez told KENS 5. She is now pressing to view the body camera footage herself to understand the full extent of the night's tragic events.
The harrowing incident prompted Fiesta De Los Reyes organizers to end their event an hour early as a safety precaution. Despite the horror that unfolded, attendees continued to flock to the celebrations on the last day with an increased police presence witnessed. An event-goer defied the fear, remarking to FOX San Antonio, "It's crazy everywhere, I mean what are you going to do just stay inside and be afraid?" SAPD is expected to release body camera footage of officer-involved shootings within 30 days, as part of their protocol, which could shed further light on this dark chapter of Fiesta 2024.
