Three employees of a San Antonio landscaping supply company were fatally shot at their workplace on November 8, victims of a tragedy that has drawn attention to longstanding challenges in immigration enforcement and border security.
The suspect, 21-year-old Jose David Hernandez-Galo, took his own life shortly after the shooting. Federal immigration authorities have confirmed that Hernandez-Galo entered the United States illegally in April 2019 as a minor, accompanied by family members.
San Antonio Police responded to the scene in the 4400 block of Stahl Road just before 8 a.m. on that Saturday morning. Officers found three employees dead from gunshot wounds. The victims have been identified as Selvin Chacon, 48, his brother Sergio Chacon, 38, and Karen Bautista, 24. Several other employees managed to escape the scene without injury.
According to police reports, Hernandez-Galo, who was also employed by the company, arrived at the worksite and opened fire on his co-workers. All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Shortly before noon, authorities located Hernandez-Galo’s body a short distance from the business. He had died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released a statement detailing Hernandez-Galo’s immigration history. When he and his family members crossed the border illegally in 2019, they were apprehended by Border Patrol agents and subsequently released with an order to appear for immigration removal proceedings. According to ICE, Hernandez-Galo and his family members failed to report their whereabouts to the agency after 2022.
The circumstances of this case illuminate the complexities that have plagued immigration enforcement for years. In 2019, more than 800,000 illegal aliens were apprehended at the southwest border. Despite efforts by the administration at that time to enforce stricter removal policies, federal court orders severely limited the government’s ability to detain minors and family units.
A critical turning point came in 2015 when Federal District Judge Dolly Gee reinterpreted the Flores consent decree, originally established in 1997. This reinterpretation expanded detention restrictions to include not only unaccompanied minors but also children who arrived as part of family units. The ruling limited detention time to no more than 20 days, a timeframe insufficient for completing the complex asylum adjudication process.
The practical effect of this judicial decision was the release of thousands of illegal aliens into the interior of the United States in 2019 and subsequent years. The case of Jose Hernandez-Galo represents one outcome of that policy reality.
This tragedy in San Antonio serves as a sobering reminder that immigration policy decisions have real-world consequences that extend far beyond legal abstractions and political debates. Three families are now mourning loved ones who went to work on an ordinary Saturday morning and never came home.
The facts of this case warrant serious examination of how judicial interpretations of immigration law have constrained enforcement capabilities and whether current policies adequately serve public safety interests. These are questions that demand honest answers from policymakers and the courts alike.
Related: Federal Immigration Agents Arrest Convicted Criminals While Working Without Pay
