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Woman, 80, killed by stray bullet in downtown San Antonio had attended graduation, police chief says

Teen also injured in shooting on East César E. Chávez Boulevard near Alamo Street

SAN ANTONIO – An elderly woman who died after being caught in the crossfire of a shooting in downtown San Antonio on Sunday night had attended a graduation at the Alamodome prior to the shooting, Police Chief William McManus said Monday.

The woman was identified by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office as Heidi Silkworth, 80. McManus said Silkworth was from Euless, a suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The second victim, who was critically injured, was identified as a 19-year-old man who was among two groups of males involved in the shooting. McManus said at a Monday news conference that the second victim was in a car with Silkworth, but police officials later clarified that it was not the case.

McManus said the shooting, which he said “made me sick to my stomach,” stemmed from a fight between two groups of males around 10 p.m. near Indianola Street and East César E. Chávez Boulevard.

The fight traveled west toward Hemisfair Boulevard and Alamo Street, where more shots were fired.

Silkworth, who was riding in the backseat of a passing SUV, was struck in the head by a bullet. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Multiple shell casings were found at the intersections of Indianola and Chavez and Hemisfair and Chavez, police said.

McManus said the shooting was a random act by the groups that decided to “shoot it out without any regard for anybody else’s well-being.”

The chief said that nine people were detained but no arrests have been made. He added that he was “somewhat confident” that would change with the help of forensic evidence.

McManus said when the arrest(s) are made, that person will be charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

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About the Authors
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

David Ibañez headshot

David Ibañez has been managing editor of KSAT.com since the website's launch in October 2000.

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