GhLinks Media
A deadly shooting has unfolded at an AutoZone in Montgomery County on Saturday.
William Gabriel Aguilar, 19, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder related to the fatal shooting.
Aguilar reportedly walked into the AutoZone located near the 28800 block of Birnham Woods and shot an employee.
According to investigators, the victim was identified as 19-year-old Carlos Perez.
Details of the incident
Reports came in around 9:50 a.m. Saturday morning regarding shots fired at the AutoZone at 28800 Birnham Woods Drive.
Constables found a male employee dead inside the store. He had been shot multiple times.
Authorities say there were no customers in the store at the time of the shooting, though one was in the parking lot as it occurred.
The suspect, who fled on foot, was quickly apprehended a short distance away.
While a daycare center behind the AutoZone was closed, constables say the World Champion Center next door was crowded with children practicing gymnastics.
A Chaplain from the Sheriff’s Office is on-site providing counseling to employees of the store.
After the shooting, Aguilar fled the scene, running through nearby fences and streets before eventually walking down a street where he was apprehended by authorities without incident.
Montgomery County officials were quick to express their shock and sorrow at the senseless violence.
“Christmas time is about family. It’s about trying to be together and celebrate, and when something like this happens, it’s very upsetting,” said Captain Adam Acosta of the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office.
Friends and Family Remember Perez
David Ackerman, one of Perez’s closest friends, was visibly emotional as he reflected on the young man’s life.
“He really was the best out of all of us,” Ackerman said, his voice cracking with grief. “He was supposed to have a good life, not this.”
Perez, who had dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, was known for cutting hair in his garage and running a detailing business.
Friends remember him as a dedicated and compassionate individual who was just beginning to carve out a future for himself.
