A 19-year-old man remains in intensive care after being shot multiple times during an attempted robbery at a house party in the King's Crossing subdivision over the weekend.
According to police, gunfire erupted at a party on the 7800 block of Beauvais Drive Saturday night. The mother of one victim says her son was being robbed when the shooting occurred.
The party was being thrown for the Veterans Memorial High School cheerleading squad and their close friends, but students from schools across the city ended up attending, according to another mother.
During the party on Saturday night, 19-year-old John Michael Gomez, Jr. and 16-year-old Jaden Lopez were shot. According to Gomez's mother, the incidents appear to be connected to what she describes as a robbery attempt.
Lopez was released from the hospital on Monday, August 4, after undergoing surgery to remove a bullet that had lodged in his ankle. According to his mother, Jessie Briseno, the bullet hit the top of her son's foot, shifted sideways, and became lodged in the back of his ankle. Briseno said the 16-year-old was discharged around lunchtime Monday and immediately taken to physical therapy to learn how to walk with crutches.
However, 19-year-old Gomez remains in the Intensive Care Unit at a local hospital since Saturday night. His mother, Launa Garza, spoke with KRIS 6 News about her son's condition and the events that led to his injuries.
Garza said her son, affectionately known as "Johnny Boy," had gone to the party to pick up his intoxicated 15-year-old cousin. Johnny was wearing a $5,000 necklace that he had purchased with money from his HVAC job – something his mother had previously warned him about.
"I told him some time ago to get rid of that, but he didn't," Garza said. She said Johnny was proud that he had bought the expensive chain with his hard-earned money.
According to Garza, when Johnny stepped outside the party, he was approached by three teenagers. Garza said one teen initially said, "Give me your chain," which Johnny thought was a joke. Then a second teen moved behind him while the one in front held a gun to Johnny's stomach and told the other two, "get it."
Johnny ran, and the teen with the gun began shooting, Garza said. She said her son was shot five times – two bullets hit his back, one bullet lacerated several parts of his body, and one bullet is lodged in his groin area.
The bullet damaged four different organs in his body. "He's currently in ICU. It's going to be a slow process," Garza said.
According to Garza, Johnny remembers collapsing on the ground as everyone at the party scattered. Some friends covered his wounds with t-shirts while others attempted CPR until medics arrived. He was rushed to the hospital.
According to Briseno, Lopez, who will be starting his senior year next week, is struggling emotionally with concerns about his future.
"He's worried about not being able to run track or play basketball this school year. He's afraid he won't be able to play drums with the (West Oso) band. He's grateful but depressed," Briseno said.
Briseno also expressed frustration over social media commentary about her son, emphasizing that "He's an A-honor roll student. He was just a bystander. He works. He goes to church and the gym. That's all he does. He's a good kid."
For Gomez, the physical challenges are more immediate. "He tried to walk yesterday, but it was difficult," Garza said.
A "juvenile offender was located and arrested in Victoria" on August 4 in connection with this shooting, according to the Corpus Christi Police Department.
Gomez said investigators with CCPD told her the 16-year-old boy caught in Victoria was the shooter and would face an attempted robbery charge and an aggravated assault charge. She would like him to face an attempted murder charge and be tried as an adult.
Meanwhile, CCPD said the homeowners who hosted Saturday's party were cited for purchase/furnish alcohol to a minor.
Both families have set up GoFundMe pages to help with medical expenses and recovery costs. According to the original reporting, Briseno is taking time off work to help her son during his recovery, while the Gomez family faces an uncertain timeline as Johnny remains hospitalized.
A barbecue benefit fundraiser will also be held on Saturday, Aug. 9 for the Gomez family as they navigate this difficult period. That fundraiser will begin at 11 a.m. at the TFW Construction Office at 6654 Leopard Street.
If you'd like to donate money to John "Johnny Boy" Gomez, Jr. or Jaden Lopez' GoFundMe page, click on the links below:
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