In the quiet border town of Arivaca, Arizona, the life of nine-year-old Hispanic female, Brisenia Ylianna Flores, was tragically cut short on May 30, 2009. That night, as Brisenia slept on the living room couch with her new puppy, her home was invaded by three assailants posing as law enforcement officers. The intruders, led by Shawna Forde, the head of a vigilante group called Minutemen American Defense were there to steal drugs and money they believed were in the house to finance their border patrol operations.
Brisenia's father, 29-year-old Raul Flores Jr., was shot and killed during the initial moments of the home invasion. Her mother, Gina Gonzalez, was also shot and wounded. Awakened by the gunfire, Brisenia cried out, 'Why did you shoot my mom?' before pleading for her own life. One of the intruders, Jason Eugene Bush, then shot the young girl twice in the face at point-blank range. After the initial attack, Gonzalez, pretending to be dead, managed to call 911 and arm herself with her husband's handgun. When the attackers re-entered the home, she exchanged gunfire with them, wounding Bush in the leg before they fled.
The investigation into the brutal murders quickly led authorities to Shawna Forde, Jason Eugene Bush, and a third accomplice, Albert Gaxiola. Gaxiola, an Arivaca resident, had provided the group with information about Raul Flores, whom they mistakenly believed was a drug trafficker. Within two weeks of the murders, all three suspects were arrested.
In 2011, all three were convicted for their roles in the murders of Brisenia and Raul Flores. Shawna Forde, the mastermind of the plot, and Jason Bush, the gunman, were both sentenced to death. Albert Gaxiola, who provided the intelligence for the deadly home invasion, received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The senseless act of violence, born from a misguided and criminal enterprise, left a lasting scar on the small community of Arivaca and a family shattered by the loss of a father and a young daughter.
