Guests at Northwest Side motel wake up to gunfire, police cars

2 men dead after possible shootout, police say

SAN ANTONIO – There was no need for a wakeup call at one Northwest Side motel.

The sound of gunfire and the sight of patrol cars rushing into their parking lot Tuesday morning got guests at the Budget Suites of America right out of bed.

“I was sitting on my sofa, watching the national news and I heard five gunshots out here,” said John Barry. “Real close, right outside my window.”

2 men killed in shooting outside Northwest Side motel, police say

Andrew Martinez heard the shots too and immediately worried about his family’s safety.

“My wife got up, she checked my kids and the kids were fine,” he said.

Motel guests say they heard as many as five gunshots moments before police rushed into the area. (KSAT 12 News)

San Antonio police officers who answered the call about gunshots shortly before 6 a.m. found two men lying on a walkway outside one of the rooms. Both were dead from gunshot wounds.

“I’m hoping they’re in a better place now, but I don’t know why it happened,” Martinez said.

Police weren’t sure either why it happened.

They roped off the crime scene and began knocking on doors, looking for clues.

Officer Christopher Ramos, a public information officer, said he did not know if there were working surveillance cameras at the motel.

Police flooded into the motel where two men were found shot to death on a walkway outside a room. (KSAT 12 News)

Initial reports were that there was a shootout, although that is still under investigation.

Ramos did confirm that officers found a gun at the scene, and that investigators are looking for at least one other person who was involved.

He said several bullets also hit the walls of the building.

“Bullets ricochet and they could hit anybody,” said Martinez. “They could probably hit my kids or something. I got little babies.”

Martinez said he is glad his children are safe, despite the danger the shooting posed.

Police did not have any reports of stray bullets hitting anyone else.


About the Authors:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

Tim has been a photojournalist and video editor at KSAT since 1998. He came to San Antonio from Lubbock, where he worked in TV and earned his bachelor's degree in Electronic Media and Communication from Texas Tech University. Tim has won a handful of awards and has earned a master's in Strategic Communication and Innovation from Tech as well.