On the night of March 11, 2023, a confrontation at a Safeway in Vancouver, Washington, led to the death of 28-year-old Henry Gonzalez Carmona, a Hispanic male. The incident, which also left three of his companions wounded, began inside the grocery store and tragically concluded in the parking lot and on the road to a nearby hospital.
Earlier that evening, Gonzalez Carmona and his girlfriend, Angelica Corrales, entered the Safeway on East Mill Plain Boulevard.
Inside, they encountered two men who reportedly questioned Gonzalez Carmona about his origins, a query often associated with gang affiliations. While the interaction was brief, it preceded a violent turn of events. After the two men exited the store, Gonzalez Carmona and Corrales also left and were met with gunfire in the parking lot.
Following the initial shots, Gonzalez Carmona, who was seriously injured, was helped into a vehicle by his friends, Aniva Garcia and Michael Roban. As they sped towards PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, the suspects pursued them and fired additional rounds at their car. Gonzalez Carmona was dropped off at the hospital, but he succumbed to a perforating gunshot wound to his torso. His death was later ruled a homicide. Corrales, Garcia, and Roban all sustained gunshot wounds but survived.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrests of two individuals. Nicholas Martinell-Sterling, 28, was taken into custody on March 15, 2023. A second suspect, Austin A. Bell, was arrested on March 20. Both men were charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and drive-by shooting in connection with the death of Henry Gonzalez Carmona and the injuries to his friends.
