On July 22, 2015, 20-year-old Carlos Araujo-Mejia was fatally shot in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Born on August 21, 1994, in Mexico, he had been a resident of Fort Smith for several years. Carlos was a graduate of Southside High School and an active member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
The incident occurred near South 2nd Street, an area known for housing a homeless encampment.
Carlos had accompanied his girlfriend, Mindy Garrett, and 53-year-old Dwight Neal Hawley to Hawley's shelter in the woods to drink. An argument ensued, during which Hawley threatened to kill Garrett. The situation escalated, leading Hawley to shoot Carlos in the face with a shotgun. Garrett fled to a nearby home to call 911.
Following the shooting, Hawley was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and first-degree terroristic threatening. He was held at the Sebastian County Detention Center without bond.
Carlos's funeral mass was held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, with burial following at Oak Cemetery. He was survived by his mother and stepfather, SanJuana Mejia and Rodrigo Sanchez, as well as three brothers and one sister. His maternal grandparents, Juan and Margarita Mejia, and maternal great-grandmother, Concepcion ManJarrez, also survived him.
