Three employees at a H-E-B grocery store in South Texas were injured and another was killed after a co-worker allegedly opened fire on them early Monday morning.
Police say that at around 3:15 a.m., 25-year-old Raul Lopez allegedly fired 15 shots at the break-room window of an H-E-B store in Palmview, Texas, about 10 miles west of McAllen. Four employees were hit in the shooting. Lopez faces one first-degree felony charge of murder and three second-degree felony counts of attempted murder.
Palmview, Texas, Police Chief Christopher Barrerra told mySA.com that Lopez did not target a specific individual in the shooting. “He was paranoid. He thought everybody was out to get him,” Barrera said.
Barrera said that Mario Pulido, 48, was pronounced dead at the scene. Bill Martinez, 33, and Rafael Martinez, 37, were both transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition, while 51-year-old Frailian Garza sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Lopez initially fled the scene of the shooting but later called the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office to turn himself in. He told investigators where to find the 9 mm handgun he had used in the shooting and later tossed in a field near his home.
Lopez does not have a criminal record, and according to Barrera, he only wanted to scare the employees, not injure them.
“Anyone could have been in the break room,” Barrera said.
H-E-B is working with the Palmview Police Department during its investigation. The company plans to reopen the Palmview store sometime Wednesday.
H-E-B Vice President and General Manager for the Border Region Javier Avalos said in a statement, “The H-E-B family is deeply saddened by the tragic incident which occurred during the early morning hours of November 28th at our Palmview store resulting in the death of one partner and injury to three other partners. As our company mourns, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the families of those affected."
Lopez is currently in Hidalgo County Jail on a $1.9 million bond.
Read more at mySA.com.