On June 1, 2020, police officers in Independence, Missouri, were dispatched to a CVS pharmacy located on the 1300 block of 23rd Street following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival at the scene, first responders discovered a Hispanic male victim lying in the store’s entryway, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The individual was identified as 40-year-old Juan Hernandez, who was pronounced dead at the scene despite the immediate response of emergency personnel.
The public nature of the violence at a commercial establishment drew significant attention as investigators began piecing together the events that led to the fatal encounter.
Detectives quickly focused their investigation on digital evidence, uncovering a series of text messages between the victim and a man named Edwin A. Sagastume-Sosa. The correspondence revealed that the two had arranged to meet at the location for a transaction involving the exchange of $4,000 for a large quantity of narcotics. According to court records, the 23-year-old suspect admitted to authorities that he had gone to the pharmacy to purchase a 'kilo.' He claimed that during the interaction, the situation escalated when Hernandez became aggressive, prompting him to draw a weapon and fire at least three rounds before fleeing the area.
Following the shooting, Sagastume-Sosa attempted to evade capture by running through nearby woods and creeks. He later told investigators that he buried the handgun used in the crime in loose soil and shaved his head in an effort to alter his appearance and avoid detection. Despite these efforts, law enforcement tracked him down using phone records associated with the arranged meeting. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office subsequently charged Sagastume-Sosa with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, requesting a bond of $300,000 as the legal proceedings commenced.
