BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – UPDATE (7:45 p.m., March 15, 2024): A 21-year-old woman who was killed at a Southwest Side party last weekend has been identified.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Friday night that the woman has been identified as Desirae Hope Rivera.
The medical examiner said Rivera suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Her death was ruled as a homicide.
A 29-year-old man was also shot at the party. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
ORIGINAL:
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating a homicide on San Antonio’s Southwest Side.
Deputies responded to a shooting call at a party around 4 a.m. Saturday on the 8200 block of Old Pearsall Road.
During a Saturday morning news conference, BCSO Sheriff Javier Salazar said the victims attended the illegal party, but it is not known if they knew each other before they arrived.
According to the sheriff’s office, the party was “packed” with attendees due to heavy promotion on social media. Approximately 20 witnesses spoke with deputies after they arrived.
The woman, 21, was shot and died at the scene. The 29-year-old man was also shot but suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the sheriff said.
In its initial investigation, the sheriff said a disagreement preceded the victims being shot.
Salazar said the sheriff’s office obtained some video from the party which depicts the woman dying while being recorded.
“It’s pretty disturbing that we do have information from some of the witnesses that people sat there and videotaped this little girl as she was dying, taking her last breath,” Salazar said during the news conference. “That’s about as cold-blooded and disturbing as you can get, that this little girl is dying. She’s gasping for air, and they’re videotaping her as she’s dying.”
Salazar said an unidentified male was arrested hours later after he returned to the scene. The male was arrested because he had a warrant on an unrelated controlled substance charge.
The sheriff said the male was also in possession of a weapon but did not yet know if he was connected to the deadly shooting on Saturday morning.
Anyone with additional information on this shooting is asked to call the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at 210-335-6000 or email bcsotips@bexar.org.
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