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‘The sadness is overwhelming:’ Family of teenage boy fatally shot still grieving over loss

Family wonders why fatal shooting happened

Michael Prieto was fatally shot on March 11, 2020 on Sangria Street. (Courtesy of Salvador Prieto)

BEXAR COUNTY, TexasUpdated on April 3 at 5:30 p.m.:

On March 11, Michael Prieto, 17, was gunned down in far west Bexar County. The suspect involved in the shooting has been arrested, but Prieto’s family continues to grieve.

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On Friday, his family released the following statement:

"The events of March 11, 2020 have left our family in complete and total devastation. The sadness is overwhelming and there are no words to describe our pain.

We are riddled with questions and disappointment. We are asking how and why this happened? We are asking how a young man out on bail was able to commit this horrific act and then be out on bail again serving less than 24 hours? We are asking how a person can take a life and then remain able to live theirs, freely? And we are asking how a judge can set bail for someone already out on bail who took the life of another human?

These are the questions that are haunting us and we want to know how this process, how our justice system, can justify his freedom.

As we continue to mourn we are certain that Michael’s life will not be defined by his death! He is sitting at the right hand of God and we pray that justice will prevail and swiftly!

While we grieve we ask that our privacy be respected and that you too would ask these questions. Thank you."

Authorities say David Rodriguez Jr. was arrested and charged with manslaughter, a second-degree felony.

Rodriguez Jr. was detained at the scene. His bond is set at $50,000 and his pre-trial hearing is set for April 15, according to the Bexar County Court’s website.

Original:

Bexar County sheriff’s investigators have detained a man following a shooting Wednesday night that left a teenage boy dead.

Deputies found the victim at a home in far West Bexar County in the 11500 block of Sangria after responding to a 911 call around 9 p.m.

They said they detained an adult male at the scene.

No details about how the shooting happened or what led to it were released right away.

As of Thursday morning, the Bexar County Medical Examiner was still trying to make a positive identification of the victim so no name or exact age was released.

However, a staff member there did confirm that the victim was a teenager.


About the Authors
Japhanie Gray headshot

Japhanie Gray is an anchor on Good Morning San Antonio and Good Morning San Antonio at 9 a.m. The award-winning journalist rejoined KSAT in August 2024 after previously working as a reporter on KSAT's Nightbeat from 2018 to 2021. She also highlights extraordinary stories in her series, What's Up South Texas.

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