In the summer of 2020, a promising young life was tragically cut short in Phoenix, Arizona. Nineteen-year-old Carlos Garcia, a male student at Arizona State University with dreams of studying computer science engineering and traveling the world, was fatally shot. His ambition was to study abroad in Germany after graduation, a plan he had excitedly discussed with his family.
He was the oldest of three siblings and was remembered by his mother as a devoted big brother.
On the evening of Thursday, July 2, 2020, at approximately 11:45 p.m., Garcia was waiting in line at a walk-up window of a store located near 19th and Southern avenues. It was then that he was struck by a bullet. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a dark-colored four-door sedan leaving the area, heading eastbound on West Southern Avenue immediately following the shooting. Phoenix Police and Fire Department crews responded to the call, but Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene.
For over six months, Garcia's family anxiously awaited answers as Phoenix detectives worked to identify a suspect and a motive for the seemingly random act of violence. The investigation was painstaking, with law enforcement meticulously gathering evidence and following leads. The breakthrough in the case finally came in January 2021, bringing a sense of relief to a grieving family that had been hoping for justice.
Phoenix police arrested 15-year-old Kevontay Myers in connection with the fatal shooting. Despite his age, Myers faces multiple serious charges, including first-degree murder, a drive-by shooting, and misconduct involving weapons. It was determined that he would be tried as an adult. The arrest brought a measure of closure to Carlos Garcia's family, though the pain of their loss remains. His mother expressed a profound sense of 'what if,' wondering if a simple change in her evening plans, like making dinner at home, could have altered the course of that tragic night.
