Federal immigration authorities have confirmed that the 21-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting three coworkers at a San Antonio landscape company on November 8 entered the U.S. illegally in 2019 and had not complied with required ICE check-ins since 2022.
Jose David Hernandez Galo, a Honduran national, is accused of killing Selvin Chacon, 48; Sergio Chacon, 38; and Karen Bautista, 24, early Saturday morning at a business located on the Northern side of San Antonio.
All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Hernandez Galo was later found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was soon pronounced dead at a local hospital.
A statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), obtained by Ken5 News, reads: “This senseless tragedy could have been prevented. The family unit has not reported in to ICE since July 2022. The Biden administration policies at the time did not consider Galo, or his family unit, a priority.”
ICE officials further explained that Hernandez Galo crossed the border near Hidalgo, Texas, in April 2019 as a minor traveling with family members. American Border Patrol agents detained the group and issued notices to appear before an immigration judge before releasing them.
However, the family failed to report for the mentioned check-ins after July 2022.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus told reporters the shooting was not random and appeared targeted, though a motive has not been publicly disclosed as of press time. “I don’t know the motive, but it was not random,” McManus told Ken5 News at the scene.
McManus posted a very short update once the shooter was found dead, reading, “Suspect down. Self-inflicted.”
The triple murder has renewed scrutiny of border enforcement and immigration regulations, as Texas continues to fight the influx of crime involving individuals who entered the country without legal status in recent years.
The San Antonio Police Department continues to investigate the incident. No additional suspects have been identified.
The Dallas Express will provide updates as more information becomes available in the homicide case.