On a Tuesday afternoon in Tucson, Arizona, a promising new beginning for 23-year-old Andres Guillermo Franco turned into a tragic end. He was in the parking lot of an apartment complex on East 29th Street, about to head to a new job, while his girlfriend and their two young daughters, aged eight months and 23 months, waited for him in the car. The day took a horrifying turn when a teenager appeared and opened fire.
According to his girlfriend, Daniela Parks, she pleaded with the
assailant to stop, shouting that her children were present. Her pleas were ignored, and the gunman continued to shoot Franco. Some witnesses later told police that an argument had occurred just before the shooting. However, family representatives disputed this, stating there was no confrontation and that Franco was ambushed as he walked towards the car. They said he was shot multiple times, with the final shots hitting him as he tried to shield his daughters from the attack. The male victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The suspect, identified as 16-year-old Gabriel Alejandro Pichardo, fled the scene on foot. An extensive search involving a K-9 unit and a police aircraft was launched, but he was not immediately captured. Two days later, on November 4, 2021, Tucson police arrested Pichardo. He was subsequently charged with one count of first-degree murder for the death of Andres Guillermo Franco and was held at the Pima County Jail.
