Leonardo “Alex” Casias was fatally shot just before midnight on Oct. 12 during what police say was an argument with a man at a vacant lot.
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio mother is speaking out a week after her 27-year-old son was shot and killed on the city’s east side.
Leonardo “Alex” Casias was fatally shot just before midnight on Oct. 12 during what police say was an argument with a man at a vacant lot near the intersection of Jenull Avenue and Monson Street.
A woman was also injured in the shooting, sustaining a gunshot wound to the hand. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Casias was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the suspect fled and has not yet been arrested.
On Sunday night, friends and family gathered at the vacant lot to honor Casias’ memory. Balloons, candles and handwritten messages surrounded the area as loved ones shared stories of his life.
“Alex, he was a nice, sweet, kind person with a big heart,” his mother said. “He never looked for trouble.”
For safety reasons, Casias’ mother chose not to show her face on camera. She told KENS 5 that she learned about her son’s death on the same day she buried her husband, after getting a call from detectives.
“That’s when I broke down,” she said.
Now grappling with the loss of both her husband and son, she said she is in shock and struggling to cope.
Casias leaves behind a 5-year-old son, Alex who, according to his grandmother, continues to ask for his father.
“I’m always going to have him in my heart, no matter what. He’s my guardian angel, and his son’s guardian angel,” she said.
To help cover costs, Casias’s mother started a GoFundMe campaign with a modest goal of $700. If you would like to contribute to the GFM you can click here.
She is now pleading for anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.
“If you all know anything about him, hear or see anything about him, just call and report him. He doesn’t deserve to be out here,” she said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the San Antonio Police Department.