On July 6, 2023, shortly before midnight, 13-year-old Chance Leon was fatally shot at the Shasta Glen apartments on Gossett Way in Linda, California. A nearby deputy heard approximately five gunshots and arrived at the scene moments later, finding Leon with a single gunshot wound. Despite immediate first aid efforts by law enforcement and subsequent medical personnel, Leon succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The investigation, led by Yuba County Sheriff's Sergeant Machuca and Detective Baumgardner, revealed that Leon and a friend had encountered 19-year-old Gabriel Aguayo in the apartment complex's parking lot. Although a specific motive was not established, witnesses indicated ongoing tensions between Leon's group of friends and Aguayo. Surveillance footage showed Leon and his friend attempting to flee as Aguayo fired multiple rounds in their direction, one of which struck Leon. After being shot, Leon managed to enter a friend's apartment before collapsing.
Aguayo fled to a relative's apartment within the complex, where he was apprehended by authorities a few hours later. The murder weapon, a Glock 9mm pistol, was discovered days later by Detective Baumgardner, concealed in a sock and buried under loose insulation in the attic of the apartment building where Aguayo was arrested.
In October 2023, Aguayo entered a plea agreement, and on January 8, 2024, Yuba County Judge Debra L. Givens sentenced him to 19 years to life in prison. This sentence comprised 15 years to life for second-degree murder and an additional four years for the personal use of a firearm. The tragic incident underscored the dedication of law enforcement in resolving the case and highlighted the devastating impact of violence on the community.
