Rally to end gun violence demands change hours before deadly shooting on East Side

The deadly shooting happened at the Antioch Village Apartments on Upland Road.

Several deadly shootings in the last 24 hours have kept San Antonio police busy.

On Saturday, around 12:30 p.m., there were heartbreaking moments of families holding on to one another after losing a loved one to a shooting on the East Side at the Antioch Village Apartments on Upland Road.

”This was not a random shooting. This was targeted for a specific individual,” SAPD Chief William McManus said.

McManus said a vehicle with several people was waiting at the apartments for a man the chief called an intended target.

That man walked out of an apartment to meet with several people in a different vehicle, and that’s when the two groups opened fire.

Three people were shot, one died at the scene and two others were taken in critical condition to the hospital.

After the shooting, chaos ensued.

An officer with San Antonio Police Department was allegedly punched in the face.

“Relatives who wanted to get to the decedent, and when they were not allowed into the crime scene, that’s when things kinda got ugly,” McManus said.

Two media members were also assaulted, including one of our KSAT 12 News photographers who had her camera pushed to the ground.

This shooting came just hours after a rally demanding an end to gun violence also on the East Side at Phillis Wheatley Park.

”We’ve lost family members, friends, and community partners to gun violence, and the community violence needs to end,” said Bennie Price, CEO of Big Mama’s Safe House.

June is Gun Violence Awareness Month, and advocates support the cause by wearing orange.

On Saturday, several groups like Big Mama’s Safe House and Mom’s Demand Action rallied to get the community to come together against gun violence.

”Everyone is tired of the way, the status quo, and we’re just fed up and we’re gonna make a change,” said Amy Kercsmar, group lead for the Bexar County chapter of Mom’s Demand Action.

Chief McManus said at this time they are not releasing information about the suspects involved in the shooting at the Antioch Village Apartments.

Saturday’s rally against gun violence comes ahead of a sit-in planned at our nation’s capitol demanding elected leaders pass an assault weapons ban.


About the Authors:

Leigh Waldman is a news reporter at KSAT 12. She joined the station in 2021. Leigh comes to San Antonio from the Midwest after spending time at a station in Omaha, NE. After two winters there, she knew it was time to come home to Texas. When Leigh is not at work, she enjoys eating, playing with her dogs and spending time with family.

Gavin Nesbitt is a photojournalist and video editor who joined KSAT in September 2021. He has traveled across the great state of Texas to film, conduct interviews and edit many major news stories, including the White Settlement church shooting, Hurricane Hanna, 2020 presidential campaigns, Texas border coverage and the Spurs.