A holiday outing to see Santa Claus ended in tragedy for a Tolleson family on November 25, 2024. Shortly after returning home with his children, 28-year-old Luis Cosme Jimenez-Hunter, a Hispanic male, was shot and killed. The fatal encounter occurred around 8 p.m. at a residence he shared in Avondale, near Broadway Road and Avondale Boulevard, following a heated argument with his brother-in-law.
The dispute began when Jimenez-Hunter confronted his 26-year-old brother-in-law, Socorro
Christian Tena, about his persistently barking dog. The verbal altercation quickly escalated, culminating in Tena drawing a handgun and firing a single shot that struck Jimenez-Hunter in the chest. Emergency services were called to the scene, but Jimenez-Hunter was pronounced dead from his injuries. The incident unfolded in the presence of Jimenez-Hunter's wife, who was holding their child at the time.
Following the shooting, Tena allegedly hid the firearm in a closet before police arrived. He later confessed to the shooting, telling investigators he believed his brother-in-law was about to physically assault him and that he acted in self-defense. Surveillance footage from a neighbor's camera reportedly captured audio of the argument.
Socorro Christian Tena was arrested and booked into jail. He is facing multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder, disorderly conduct with a firearm, and discharging a firearm within city limits. A judge set his bond at $750,000. In the wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe campaign was created to provide financial support for Jimenez-Hunter's wife and their two daughters.
