Avery Jacob Flores, an 18-year-old male of Hispanic ethnicity from San Antonio, Texas, tragically lost his life on December 12, 2021. He was found shot to death inside his vehicle on the Southwest Side of San Antonio. The incident occurred just after midnight on Briggs Avenue near Southwest Military Drive.
The investigation revealed that Avery had been involved in a heated argument with Sammy Cruz Gutierrez, 20, during a FaceTime call. The argument escalated, and Avery drove to Gutierrez's residence. As Avery was exiting his vehicle, Gutierrez allegedly opened fire from his front yard. Despite getting back into his vehicle, Avery was struck multiple times by Gutierrez's gunfire. Investigators confirmed that Avery was unarmed at the time of the shooting.
Sammy Cruz Gutierrez was arrested shortly after the incident and charged with murder. According to the arrest affidavit, the argument began over a girl that Avery was seeing, who happened to be Gutierrez's ex-girlfriend. Gutierrez was later found at a neighbor's house and taken into custody. He was held in the Bexar County Jail on a $150,000 bond.
In October 2024, Gutierrez pleaded no contest to the murder of Avery Jacob Flores. The judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison for the shooting death. The case brought attention to issues of gun violence and the impact of interpersonal conflicts escalating to deadly violence.
Avery Jacob Flores was remembered fondly by his family and friends for his love of sports, singing, dancing, and cutting hair. Despite his short time on earth, he brought immense joy to those around him and will be deeply missed.
