In the early hours of February 18, 2026, a night out at a San Antonio hookah lounge turned deadly, claiming the life of 50-year-old Kyung Lee, an Asian male. The tragic incident unfolded at the Myst Hookah + Ultra Lounge on the city's Northwest side.
An altercation inside the lounge reportedly led to a man and a woman being ejected from the establishment.
Shortly after, around 1:24 a.m., a car matching the description of one associated with the ejected individuals drove by the lounge's outdoor patio area. Multiple gunshots were fired from the vehicle towards the patrons, striking and killing both Kyung Lee and another man, 27-year-old Derek Dashaun Brown. Witnesses reported hearing as many as 20 gunshots, causing panic to erupt at the scene. When police arrived, they found two deceased males.
The San Antonio Police Department quickly launched a capital murder investigation. Within two days, authorities arrested 34-year-old Joseph Anthony Amador and 35-year-old Lauren Tayler Machado-Juarez in connection with the fatal shooting. Both have since been charged with capital murder of multiple people.
According to the arrest affidavit, surveillance footage played a crucial role in identifying the suspects. The footage reportedly showed Amador and Machado-Juarez leaving the lounge and getting into a gold Ford Fusion. The affidavit further states that after switching seats, Amador allegedly fired multiple shots from the passenger side of the vehicle towards the victims before fleeing the scene. Investigators were able to track down the vehicle and the suspects, leading to a traffic stop where both were detained. Police also found that both individuals had active warrants for unrelated charges.
