In the early morning hours of February 7, 2026, the quiet of a neighborhood near Plainview, Texas, was shattered by gunfire. When authorities arrived at the scene in the 2700 block of Upchurch Street, they discovered a tragic scene. Among the deceased was Hector Alonso Sanchez, a 28-year-old Hispanic man known as a hardworking owner of a local roofing business.
The violence that claimed Hector's life also took the lives of his wife, Tanya Paola Valadez Rangel, 30, and his mother, Rosalba
Saenz Rodriguez, 47. A close friend, 21-year-old Reily Joseph Zavala Barrientos, was critically injured and later succumbed to his injuries at Covenant Hospital-Plainview. The Hale County Sheriff's Office quickly requested the assistance of the Texas Rangers to investigate the mass shooting.
Investigators identified the gunman as 33-year-old Saul Villa. Villa was also found deceased at the scene, having apparently taken his own life after the killings. The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that Villa was the assailant and that there was no ongoing threat to the public. While the motive for the tragic events remains under investigation, the incident has been classified as a quadruple murder-suicide.
In the days that followed, the community mourned the loss of the four victims. Hector was remembered as a devoted family man and a generous friend, known for his warm spirit and easy smile. He was a father figure to his wife's two daughters. The investigation into the circumstances that led to the devastating loss of five lives is ongoing.
