SAN ANTONIO – One of the hosts of a Halloween party where five people were shot early Sunday morning said he regrets not calling police sooner after uninvited guests shot at his guests.
Michael Mata, 26, said one of two shooting suspects was wearing a Freddy Krueger costume.
The party, which took place in the 2900 block of Aspen Meadow, started around midnight.
"Everybody was just having a really good time enjoying themselves," Mata said. "Having fun, playing games, just having a really good time."
Mata said the mood of the party quickly changed when uninvited guests showed up. A fight started outside in the front yard when they were asked to leave. Shortly after, shots were fired. Police responded just before 5 a.m. Sunday
"I thought all of those gunshots were just warning shots shot in the air. I didn't even turn around (or) look back. I didn't want to see," Mata said.
Police said four men and one woman were shot. The victims include one of Mata's closest friends, amateur boxer Luis Carrasco.
"It was a shotgun. We don't know what gauge of shotgun it was, and it was about three to four feet away, and he (Carrasco) got shot right in the abdomen," Mata said.
The party host said he won't throw another party as a result of the experience. He also regrets not calling the police when the party crashers first arrived.
"At the time there was a female leaving in an Uber, and the Uber driver saw the person running towards the party with the shotgun. He thought it was part of his costume," Mata said.
Mata's biggest focus now is supporting Carrasco during his long road to recovery. Carrasco was scheduled to make his pro-boxing debut in December. To support Carrasco's recovery, click here.
The case remains under investigation by San Antonio police. No arrests have been made yet.