A tragic shooting at an AutoZone store in Montgomery County, Texas, has left a family and community in mourning after 19-year-old Carlos Perez was shot and killed while at work. William Gabriel Aguilar, also 19, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the incident.
The shooting occurred Saturday morning at the AutoZone in Birnham Woods. Police received reports of shots fired around 9:50 a.m. and found Carlos, who had been shot several times, according to Click2Houston. Despite fleeing on foot, Aguilar was detained nearby.
The store is located a few meters from a daycare center where children were practicing gymnastics at the time, which increased the shock of the local community. Carlos, a hard-working and deeply religious young man, aspired to develop a career in the automotive industry.
Tributes from loved ones painted a picture of a kind and ambitious individual. David Ackerman, a close friend, said fox26houston“He really was the best of all of us. I was supposed to have a good life, not this one. I had dreams. Big dreams. It’s not fair”.
Daylanie Alanis, Carlos’ cousin, expressed the family’s pain in an interview with the mirror: “We are heartbroken. We are sad. We are angry. “We’re feeling all these emotions…He didn’t deserve any of this.” And he added: “He was very religious.
He welcomed everyone into his life. If someone had a problem, he would help them, even if he didn’t know them. “No matter what happens, he will always be here with us, in our hearts, in our minds.”
Community members gathered to honor Carlos’ memory, gathering outside AutoZone for a candlelight vigil. A video shared on Facebook showed the heartfelt tribute, with a friend writing: “I love this young man. I will cherish our memories and our beach vacations after we graduate. RIP.”
Captain Adam Acosta of the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office commented on the tragic timing of the incident. “Christmas is about family. “It’s about trying to be together and celebrate, and when something like that happens, it’s very upsetting.”
Aguilar is now in custody and the community faces the loss of a promising young man whose life was cut too short.