Four people have been charged with capital murder in the North Side shootout that killed a teenager and an innocent bystander on Monday, according to San Antonio police.
Enrique Bocanegra, 66, and Christopher James Mejia, 14, were pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m., moments after police responded to a call for shots fired between two parties.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the incident started when a green Suburban with five occupants parked outside a gas station near the intersection of Blanco Road and West Mariposa Drive. The Suburban had been circling the gas station.
At some point, someone went up to the car, and “it looked like there was some sort of deal getting ready to go down,” McManus said.
One of the passengers stepped out of the car with a gun in his hand and that’s when the shooting started.
That person, later identified as Mejia, was killed by the gunman who had initially approached the SUV, McManus said.
Bocanegra was inside his home at the time of the shooting and was killed by a stray bullet.
Another passenger, a 17-year-old man was shot and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police said capital murder charges are pending for him.
Oscar Martinez, 21, and two other juvenile males face the same charge, police said. At this time it is unclear what party the suspects were involved in.
“What we saw here today was risky behavior, and it resulted in the senseless death of a resident in the neighborhood,” McManus said. “It’s just insane that people have no respect for other people’s safety. I’m outraged by this and trying to contain my emotion right now.”
Enrique Flores, a neighbor to Bocanegra, called gun violence among youth “crazy.”
“I don’t know why kids do that now, you know?” he said. Flores added that their families have been close since he was young.
“He was a nice guy, always out there cutting his yard, just helping everyone. He’s known us since we were babies,” he said.
On Tuesday, two candles could be seen outside the man’s home in his memory.
Bashrat Hussain, the store manager at the convenience store, said Bocanegra was a regular customer and always had a smile on his face.
The investigation is active and ongoing.