2021 Garland shooting

2021 Garland shooting
Top: Acosta, seen firing into the store. Four people were injured by the initial gunfire. Bottom: Acosta inside of the store, firing at random. Xavier Gonzalez, who would die in the shooting, can be seen hiding under a chair.
Location730 W Walnut St, Garland, Texas, US
DateDecember 26, 2021
8:51:13 PM (CDT)
Attack type
Mass shooting
Weapon.40-caliber semi-automatic pistol
Deaths3
Injured1
PerpetratorAbel Elias Acosta
ConvictedRichard Acosta Jr.[1]

On December 26, 2021, a mass shooting took place at a Texaco convenience store in Garland, Texas, United States. Three teenage boys were killed and another was seriously injured before the alleged perpetrator, 14-year-old Abel Acosta, fled the scene. As of 2026, Acosta is wanted for the shooting and believed to be hiding in Mexico.[2]

Shooting

At 8:50 PM CDT, a white truck with two occupants pulled up to a Texaco-owned convenience store in Garland.[3] Acosta exited the passenger side of the vehicle, and walked behind the truck, positioning himself on one of the exterior walls of the store. He then walked up to the front door, and stopped before ducking under a window.[4] Seconds later, Acosta got up, opened the entrance door and reached inside of the building, before firing 20 rounds from a .40-caliber pistol with an extended magazine.[5][6]

The first person shot was Xavier Gonzalez, who was shot multiple times by Acosta; he was seriously injured. Acosta then stepped inside of the store, where he stood above Gonzalez and shot him in the shoulder/back multiple times, significantly injuring him. Acosta then shot at Ivan Noyola and Rafael Garcia, both of whom had already been injured when Acosta first opened fire inside of the store. As Noyola and Garcia attempted to flee, they were shot in the back and were fatally wounded. After firing several shots at them, Acosta shot at another teenager, David Rodriguez, who was employed with the store, injuring him in the chest. Acosta then ran back to the white truck, and the vehicle sped off.[7][8][9][10]

Xavier Gonzalez was shot 10 times, Ivan Noyola was shot 4 times, and Rafael Garcia was shot 2 times, including once in the heart.[11]

Victims

The three fatal victims of the shooting were between the ages of 14 and 17. The youngest, Xavier Gonzalez, was believed to have been uninvolved with Acosta prior to the shooting.[5][12] The injured victim was a cook at the gas station.[13]

Perpetrator

Undated photo of Abel Acosta

Abel Acosta was 14 years old at the time of the shooting. The reason he carried out the shooting is disputed, but it is believed to have been because of prior conflict between him and Ivan Noyola, who would die in the shooting.[14][15]

Investigation

After the attack, Acosta fled from authorities and is believed to be in Mexico. On December 27, police arrested a different 14-year-old boy as a suspect before releasing him after questioning by December 29.[16] The driver of the white truck, identified as Abel's father Richard Acosta Jr., turned himself in the day after the shooting and was arrested for facilitating the attack and acting as a getaway driver.[17]

Abel Acosta is wanted on a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.[18] People who committed crimes while under 18 years old are, as per a U.S. Supreme Court judgment, ineligible for the death penalty. People who commit capital crimes while 14–16 years old and while sentenced as adults, under Texas law, have a maximum sentence of life with parole. Under Texas law, people who commit capital murder while being a 17-year-old have the maximum sentence of life without parole; people who commit crimes at age 17 are treated as adults under Texas law.[19]

Trial

In February 2022, Richard Acosta Jr. was indicted by the Dallas County court on a capital murder charge,[20] which can carry the death sentence in the state of Texas.[21] The attorney of Acosta's father stated that Abel Acosta was involved in gang activity, which his family was unaware of,[22] and that Acosta had told his father that he was going to confront one of the victims, Ivan Noyola, over a stolen necklace at the gas station, though his son denied personally knowing him.[23][24] Richard Acosta Jr. claimed that he was unaware that his son was armed and that after driving home, Acosta left without his knowledge.[25] The prosecution alleged that he had aided Abel Acosta in his escape from the country afterwards.[18]

In February 2023, Acosta Jr. was found guilty of capital murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[26][27][28]

Later developments

A sister of victim Rafael Garcia told authorities that the day after the shooting, an unknown Instagram account had sent her messages about her brother's death, claiming affiliation with a gang. The account owner, a male juvenile, was identified and signed an affidavit attesting that he found out the names of the victims immediately after the shooting through a group chat, which police could not confirm.[13]

Garland Crime Stoppers offered $20,000 for information leading to Abel Acosta's arrest.[29] In April 2026, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced an increase to the official reward for Acosta's capture to $50,000, making the total reward amount to $70,000.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/richard-acosta-jr-convicted-texas-father-of-teen-accused-triple-murder-convenience-store/
  2. ↑ "Father of Garland 14-year-old triple murder suspect indicted on capital murder charge". February 17, 2022.
  3. ↑ "What we know about the Garland gas station shooting that left 3 teens dead, 1 wounded". Dallas News. July 13, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  4. ↑ "3 teens dead, 1 critical in shooting at Texas gas station". AP News. December 28, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Victims identified after Garland shooting leaves 3 teens dead". KERA News. December 27, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  6. ↑ Keller, Alex (February 10, 2023). "Father of Texas teen accused in triple murder found guilty of capital murder for driving getaway car". KWTX. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Man found guilty in 2021 Garland shooting that left 3 teens dead. But his teen son, the suspected gunman, remains at large". CNN. February 12, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  8. ↑ "$17,000 REWARD - Garland CrimeStoppers". Garland CrimeStoppers. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Suspect arrested after Texas convenience store shooting that killed 3". NBC News. December 28, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Survivor, witnesses testify about chaotic scene after triple homicide at Garland store". Dallas News. February 8, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Richard Acosta: Testimony continues in capital murder trial of dad accused of driving getaway car for son after Garland killings". wfaa.com. February 8, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Family of slain teen marks anniversary of his death; shooter remains on the lam". Dallas News. December 26, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  13. 1 2 Smith, Kelli (January 5, 2022). "Affidavit: Sister of Garland shooting victim says she received gang-related messages after slayings". Dallas News.
  14. ↑ "Search continues for Garland triple shooting suspect two years later, police say". wfaa.com. December 26, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  15. ↑ "GPD obtains 'Directive to Apprehend' for shooting suspect in triple murder - The Garland Texan Local News". December 29, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Texas police release teen, say triple killing suspect loose". AP News. December 28, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Texas police release teen, say triple killing suspect still on the loose". CBS 7. Associated Press. December 28, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 "FBI offers new $50,000 reward for information leading to arrest of Garland teen wanted for 2021 capital murder - CBS Texas". CBS News. April 8, 2026.
  19. ↑ "HOUSE RESEARCH HB 4 ORGANIZATION bill analysis" (PDF). Texas House of Representatives. pp. 1–2/6. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  20. ↑ Boyer, Alex (February 10, 2023). "Garland Convenience Store Shooting: Accused shooter's father found guilty, sentenced to life in prison". FOX 4. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Father who drove teen to Garland gas station indicted on capital murder charge in triple shooting". Dallas News. February 17, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  22. ↑ Sentendrey, David (February 5, 2023). "Trial for father of Garland 14-year-old triple murder suspect set to start this week". FOX 4.
  23. ↑ "Garland convenience store shooting trial begins, father of accused shooter faces capital murder charge". FOX 4. February 7, 2023.
  24. ↑ Guerrero, Maria (February 8, 2023). "Evidence Presented on Day 2 of the Capital Murder Trial of a Garland Father Accused in Triple Murder". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth.
  25. ↑ "Triple Murder Suspect's Father Found Guilty". Dallas Express. February 11, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Richard Acosta Jr., Texas father of teen accused in triple murder at convenience store, convicted - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. February 11, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Testimony begins in capital murder trial for dad accused of driving getaway car for son after killing 3". wfaa.com. February 7, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Texas dad, Richard Acosta, convicted of murder in fatal shootings by teen son". Associated Press. February 12, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  29. ↑ Sentendrey, David (December 26, 2025). "Innocent victim's family still seeks answers in 2021 Garland Texaco triple-murder". FOX 4.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.