On an autumn evening in Wichita, Kansas, a dispute over drug money set in motion a tragic chain of events that would claim the life of 21-year-old Ernesto Aguilar Retana. On October 22, 2015, Aguilar Retana was one of three men in a vehicle near 53rd Street North and Meridian when gunfire erupted from within the car. The shooter, Adam Ray, then 22, believed the men were there to collect a drug debt he owed.
Following the shooting, the vehicle veered off the road and crashed.
When police arrived, they discovered 21-year-old Omar Garcia deceased at the scene. Aguilar Retana and a third man were found in the back seat, both in extremely critical condition with gunshot wounds to the head. They were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
After fleeing the scene, Ray approached a group of people at a nearby residence and confessed to shooting three individuals. He was taken into custody shortly thereafter. Police have stated the incident was not related to road rage, as had been initially speculated, but was instead motivated by the drug debt.
Five days after the shooting, on October 27, 2015, Ernesto Aguilar Retana succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The third victim in the vehicle survived. Adam Ray was initially charged with one count of second-degree murder, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, and possession of methamphetamine. With Aguilar Retana's death, the charges were amended. Ultimately, Ray pleaded no contest to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and one count of attempted voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to just under six years in prison for his role in the deaths of Ernesto Aguilar Retana and Omar Garcia.
