On a summer evening in Pontiac, Michigan, Gilmar Carrillo, a 42-year-old man, was enjoying a recreational soccer game at Perry Park. It was August 7, 2016, and Carrillo was among approximately 3,500 spectators in the stands. An earlier dispute at the park, however, would tragically alter the course of the evening. Two groups of men had an altercation and left, but some of them returned a short time later in a dark-colored car.
From the vehicle, at least two individuals opened fire into the crowd. Carrillo, an innocent bystander, was struck by the gunfire and fell from the bleachers. He was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead. Another man, a 49-year-old from Pontiac, was also shot but survived his injuries. Both victims were uninvolved in the initial conflict.
Gilmar Carrillo was a painter and a hardworking man who had moved to the United States from El Salvador with his wife, Sandra Ramires, nearly two decades prior to escape violence in their home country. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement had not made any arrests and were seeking information from the public. The community held a vigil to remember Carrillo and to plead for an end to the violence. Information regarding any subsequent arrests, charges, or convictions in the case is not available in the provided sources.
