In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 7, 2025, a dispute that began inside a Roanoke bar spilled out into the parking lot, ending in the tragic death of 31-year-old Jose Eduardo Buenostro-Vazquez. The Hispanic/Latino man was found with gunshot wounds in the 5300 block of Williamson Road NE shortly before 2 a.m. and was transported to a local hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
According to the preliminary investigation, an argument had broken out involving
several people inside the establishment. Security personnel intervened and removed the group from the bar. The confrontation, however, continued in the parking lot, escalating to the point where a firearm was discharged, and Buenostro-Vazquez was struck.
In the wake of the fatal shooting, Roanoke Police detectives identified 20-year-old Gilberto Hernandez Rodriguez as the suspect. A warrant for second-degree murder was issued for his arrest. Investigators also released information about the vehicle he was believed to be driving, a silver 2012 Kia Sorento.
The search for Rodriguez concluded the following day, on Monday, September 8, 2025. Members of the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Task Force located and apprehended him in Park Forest, Illinois. Prior to his capture, law enforcement had successfully located the Kia Sorento he had been driving.
