Thomas Ray Harper, 33, a male, White/Caucasian, was shot near a VIA bus stop outside a Walgreens on Southwest Military Drive near South Zarzamora Street in San Antonio on the evening of August 27, 2025. Police and medical examiner records indicate he was struck once in the chest; he was rushed to a hospital where he later died, and the death was ruled a homicide. Witnesses described a confrontation that began as an argument at the bus stop shortly before 6:30 p.m.
and escalated when a driver pulled up, exchanged words, and a single shot was fired from inside the vehicle before it sped away.
Investigators identified the suspect’s vehicle as a gray Nissan Juke using police footage and license plate reader data, which led them to 58-year-old Richard Cruz Rodriguez. He was arrested in early September and charged with murder; jail records and reporting placed his bond at $250,000. According to an affidavit summarized in local coverage, Rodriguez’s wife initially drew scrutiny but was later cleared after cooperating with detectives; she told investigators she saw him retrieve a gun from the glove compartment and fire at Harper, and that there had been an earlier dispute between the two men.
Authorities and subsequent reporting consistently name Harper as the victim and fix the location and timeline to the bus stop outside the Southwest Military Drive Walgreens on August 27. Community memorials and victim databases corroborate his identity and age and confirm the manner of death as a homicide by gunfire. As of the latest reports, Rodriguez remains the sole named suspect in the case, charged with murder in connection with Harper’s killing.
