Jose Garcia Jr., a 26-year-old male, was shot and killed on March 10, 2016, inside an apartment complex in south St. Louis, Missouri. The incident occurred in the early evening at the Park Val Apartments located in the 7000 block of Nottingham Avenue. Garcia had been visiting his girlfriend, Ashley Triplett, when her ex-boyfriend arrived at the residence. A confrontation ensued in the hallway of the building, culminating in Garcia sustaining fatal gunshot wounds.
Police arrived at the scene around 5:45 p.m. and found Garcia suffering from his injuries; he was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities quickly identified a suspect, Adnan Husidic, who was 26 years old at the time of the shooting. Husidic, a Bosnian immigrant who had become a U.S. citizen, was the former boyfriend of the woman Garcia was visiting. According to investigators, Husidic allegedly forced his way into the apartment and shot Garcia during the altercation. He was arrested in the apartment complex's parking lot shortly after the shooting and was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree burglary. He was held on a $1 million cash-only bond pending trial.
During the trial in December 2017, the defense presented a narrative of self-defense. Husidic testified that he had gone to the apartment merely to return a bin of laundry and was unaware that Garcia was present. The defense argued that Garcia initiated the physical confrontation and that Husidic fired his weapon in fear for his life, citing threatening text messages Garcia had allegedly sent previously. The prosecution contended that Husidic had gone to the apartment with the intent to kill, pointing to the forced entry. After deliberating, the jury acquitted Husidic of all criminal charges, finding him not guilty of murder, armed criminal action, and burglary.
Following the criminal acquittal, Garcia's parents, Jose Sr. and Celsa Garcia, pursued legal action in civil court against the property management companies, Mills Properties Inc. and Park Val Partners LLC. The lawsuit alleged that the apartment complex failed to provide adequate security, specifically citing a broken lock on the building's outer door that allowed Husidic to enter the premises without a key. In November 2025, a St. Louis City jury found the property owners liable for the wrongful death and awarded Garcia’s family $3.1 million in damages.
