Vigil held for Annex nightclub bouncer who was shot, killed

Chris Fuentes' family believes he was set up, wants suspects caught

SAN ANTONIO – Questions loomed as loved ones said goodbye to Chris Fuentes, the bouncer shot and killed Sunday at the Annex night club on the near North Side.  

 

On Wednesday night, the medical examiner officially identified him and confirmed his death was a homicide. The same night, more than 100 people gathered to celebrate Fuentes' life. 

 

They stood in a tight circle at a candlelight vigil, singing "Happy Birthday" to someone who wasn't there. It wasn't the birthday celebration they planned for. 

 

Instead of celebrating Fuentes' 35th year of life, they mourned his death. They let go of the balloons and watched them float away. 

 

Letting go of her dad is an impossible task for Juliet Fuentes.  

 

"I'm hoping I wake up one day and he'll call me again and everything will be fine," she said. 

 

Her tears fell onto the same parking lot where her father's life was taken Sunday night. Witnesses told police Chris Fuentes was escorting someone out of the Annex night club when two people came up and and shot him multiple times. 

 

"I think he got set up," said Chris Fuentes' mother, Yolanda Fuentes. 

 

Looking at her son's picture, Yolanda Fuentes was riddled with anger and grief. 

 

"He wasn't a bad person. He was already turning his life around," she said. 

 

Yolanda Fuentes admitted very honestly that her son had spent part of his past behind bars, but described the last two years as a complete 180.

 

"He wasn't hanging with no people that he used to hang with before. All these people right here are new, and I love all these people," she said, pointing to a huge crowd with tear-stained faces. 

 

More than 100 people showed up to the vigil at the Annex, where he'd only been working for three months. 

 

"If he loved you, you knew it," Juliet Fuentes said. "It's just going to be hard to keep going without him there."

 

Chris's family is staying strong as they hope and pray for justice. The two people police said are responsible for his death ran away from the scene and still haven't been arrested. 

 

"It's terrible and there's no answer. I really do hope they catch them," Yolanda Fuentes said. 

 

As the murder investigation continues, police ask the public for any information they have about Sunday's shooting or the people involved. Anyone with information is asked to call 210-207-7273.

The Fuentes family will be holding a plate sale Friday and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Annex.


About the Author:

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.