Alando Deon Marston Jr., known to his loved ones as “AJ,” was a kind, caring, and loyal man whose presence could make anyone smile. Born on the Fourth of July in 2001, the 25-year-old San Antonio native was described by his mother as loving, outgoing, and free-spirited. His brother, Edward Ross, remembered their long conversations and the time they spent playing basketball together.
An uncle, who shared AJ's birthday, recalled being there the day he was born and the close bond they shared during family gatherings in the summer. Above all, AJ was a devoted father to his 2-year-old daughter. His mother, Laura White, said he loved his daughter deeply, a loss made more profound by the knowledge that the little girl will now grow up without her father.
On the night of Sunday, October 4, 2026, AJ had been checking on his grandmother, who was recovering from cancer treatments. Later that evening, around 10:15 p.m., he was at the Loma Vista Apartments in the 7200 block of Marbach Road on the city’s West Side. According to the San Antonio Police Department, AJ was in the parking lot when several people approached him. An altercation broke out, and during the fight, one of the individuals pulled out a gun and fired, striking AJ multiple times. The suspects immediately fled the scene.
When police and emergency services arrived, they found AJ with catastrophic injuries. He was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. His family gathered, holding onto hope, but doctors delivered devastating news: his injuries were not survivable, and even if he were to live, he would remain in a vegetative state. His family made the agonizing decision to remove him from life support. Alando “AJ” Marston Jr. died on October 5, 2026. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed his cause of death was gunshot wounds to the head and neck, ruling it a homicide.
The investigation into AJ’s murder was launched by the San Antonio Police Department. Officers at the scene searched the area for the suspects who ran after the shooting, but they were not found. In the days that followed, detectives continued to work the case, and AJ's family cooperated fully with the investigation. His mother, Laura White, voiced her belief that the person responsible may have been someone her son knew. The days following the shooting were a blur of grief for the family. “Everything just happened so fast,” White said.
The loss shattered AJ’s family, leaving them with unanswered questions and a profound sense of emptiness. His mother recalled the heart-wrenching moments in the hospital room with her oldest son. “I never knew how loud silence is,” she said. “Just sitting in that room with him, and I just gave him a kiss on his forehead.” Grieving for her son and the future his daughter will never have with him, she made a public plea to those involved. “Just turn yourself in,” she said. “If you feel like you weren't involved, then clear your name. It's as simple as that.”
In the wake of their loss, AJ's family organized a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the unexpected funeral and burial expenses. To honor his memory, they also planned a balloon release for the evening of October 24, 2026, at the Woodlawn Lake basketball court, a place that held happy memories for his brother and others who knew him. The community was invited to join them in celebrating his life.
As of October 2026, the San Antonio Police Department had not announced any arrests in the case, and no suspects had been publicly identified. The investigation remains ongoing. AJ’s family continues to hope for justice and asks that anyone with information about the shooting or the people involved contact the San Antonio Police Department. Their pleas echo a mother’s pain and a family’s search for closure. “I feel like I lost a piece of my heart,” his mother said.
