In what was supposed to be a transaction for a quarter pound of marijuana, 17-year-old Carlos Santos was fatally wounded. The male teenager and two of his friends, 18-year-olds Jessey Gonzalez and Nicolas Gedela, had arranged to meet three individuals on a Friday night in March 2016 to sell them the drugs for $850. The meeting took place at the Oxford Oaks Apartments, located near the intersection of Second Street and Boulevard in Edmond, Oklahoma.
As the exchange was concluding and
Gonzalez attempted to drive away from the parking space, the situation escalated dramatically. One of the three buyers unexpectedly produced a firearm and discharged it into the vehicle occupied by Santos and his friends. The single bullet struck Carlos Santos in the head. He was rushed to a hospital in Oklahoma City but succumbed to his injuries the following Saturday morning.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Edmond police launched an investigation that led to the arrests of Santos's two companions, Gonzalez and Gedela. Despite not being the ones who fired the weapon, they were both charged with first-degree murder under a state law that holds individuals accountable for a death that occurs during the commission of certain felonies, including drug crimes. In addition to the murder charge, Gedela faced a charge of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, while Gonzalez was also charged with drug possession with intent to distribute and possession of drug proceeds. Both were held at the Oklahoma County Jail without bond.
While Santos's friends faced serious charges, the three suspects who were the alleged buyers and directly responsible for the shooting remained at large. The police continued their search for the unidentified individuals who fled the scene after the fatal shot was fired, leaving a drug deal turned deadly in their wake.
