After a teenager was shot and killed, officers with the Carrollton Police Department are investigating the incident as a robbery gone wrong.
A 16-year-old male was shot and killed just after 7 p.m. on January 5, according to a Carrollton police press release. He and four others allegedly went to meet 20-year-old Adan Sandoval under the guise of a drug deal, with the intention to commit robbery. Sandoval reportedly fired in self-defense.
At the time of the shooting, the teen was in a car with 17-year-olds John Avila and Markellin Soto, and two 15-year-old girls, according to the release. Avila, Soto, and one of the girls now face charges for aggravated robbery.
The Shooting
Carrollton police responded to a shooting call on Heads Lane, between Keller Springs Road and Kelly Boulevard. They found the teen had been shot. Responders brought him to Carrollton Regional Hospital, where he ultimately died.
“Detectives have determined the shooting occurred in the roadway,” the release reads.
Detectives also interviewed Avila, Soto, and the two girls who were in the car at the time. They found the teens had traveled to Carrollton to meet Sandoval “under the pretense of selling illegal substances, with the intent to commit a robbery.”
“During the encounter, the 16-year-old male brandished a firearm, which resulted in Sandoval acting in self-defense,” the release reads.
Sandoval was not facing charges as of January 8. Officials said detectives continue to review digital and forensic evidence, so this remains an active investigation.
Teen Violence
In rural Lavon, a 14-year-old teen allegedly shot and killed a 24-year-old man at a party in December 2025, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. He fled, but police later arrested him in Dallas.
The same month, four teens in Burleson were charged with murder after allegedly killing a 17-year-old in a drug deal.
A Denton County jury sentenced a 19-year-old man to prison in October, after shooting and killing a Lewisville High School student for revenge in 2023, as The Dallas Express also reported. First Assistant District Attorney Jamie Beck told DX at the time the attack was “cold-blooded.”