SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said three people were shot and one of them was killed at the Antioch Village apartments on Saturday.
Police responded to the apartment complex on Upland Road just before 1 p.m. as neighbors and community members gathered around shocked by the carnage.
McManus said a vehicle with multiple passengers parked in the center parking lot and waited for another individual to appear.
When the intended victim came out of an apartment, police believe the people in the car fired at that individual.
Associates of the intended target showed up in a second car and tried to pick him up. There was then an exchange of gunfire and three people were hit.
McManus said one associate of the intended target was killed and two other associates of the intended target were wounded. They are in the hospital in critical condition.
The victim who died has been identified as Geremiah Hardeman, 18.
McManus said this was not a random shooting.
Jondavid De Leon has been spreading faith and inspiring hope for families on the east side for 10 years.
The San Antonio pastor held a church event filled with food and games at the Antioch Village Apartments just the day before.
“It’s terrible, it’s heart wrenching," De Leon said. “Bullet shells are littering and decorating the streets of the east side.”
De Leon and fellow ministers have made it their mission to share the word of God with the east side community in a fun, interactive way by holding routine church events where they live. De Leon realizes violent crime is a city-wide problem, which is why he hopes his efforts alongside SAPD and other groups, lead to change.
“For families like this, outreach and events like this, to team up with SAPD or team up with Big Mama Safe House, it does make an impact, it does make a difference," De Leon said. “These relatives and families have to stop and put their guns down, have to stop shooting each other. There’s power in forgiveness.”
Later, when relatives of the deceased individual tried to get to the crime scene, McManus said “things got ugly” and one officer was assaulted on the crime scene perimeter. Police arrested that person for “punching the officer in the face,” according to McManus.
Other members of the public then demanded the family member be released but police refused in order to control the crime scene.
A crowd formed outside the perimeter. Police said a news photographer was later punched in the face and a camera may have been pushed over.
Police said they are not seeking the public’s help identifying a suspect at this time. McManus said multiple times that this was “preliminary information” and subject to change.
According to McManus the person who died was not the intended target.
This is a developing story.