On the evening of March 23, 2022, in Quincy, Washington, 18-year-old Hispanic male Juan Carlos Diaz Guerrero Jr. was fatally struck by a bullet. The incident occurred near the old junior high school building on C Street SE. Authorities reported that the shot was fired from a moving vehicle. Diaz Guerrero was pronounced deceased upon arrival at approximately 11:40 p.m.
Law enforcement quickly identified a suspect in the shooting, 18-year-old Horacio Morales Perez. According to police, Diaz Guerrero was not the intended target of the gunfire, tragically finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Investigators determined that other individuals were present in the vehicle with Morales Perez at the time of the shooting and these passengers were interviewed as part of the investigation.
Following the incident, law enforcement began a search for Morales Perez, who was described as five feet, nine inches tall and weighing about 175 pounds. In a significant development, on April 27, 2022, Horacio Morales Perez turned himself into the Grant County Jail. Police had been working with the U.S. Marshal's Service to locate him, and a reward had been offered for information leading to his arrest. Authorities have stated that Morales Perez is affiliated with a local gang.
