A rancher from Kaufman County in North Texas was shot multiple times and killed while sitting in his pickup truck. The family of the deceased is urging the police to charge the man responsible for the shooting with a hate crime. Aaron Martinez’s death has sparked outrage on social media, with people using #JusticeForAaron on TikTok and the family starting a petition on Change.org to seek justice for their loved one.
Kaufman County deputies discovered Martinez, a 35-year-old man, in his truck with several gunshot wounds near the town of Forney on May 1. The truck was covered in bullets, and Trevor McEuen was seen driving away from the scene by the deputies. Following a standoff with SWAT, McEuen, who was Martinez’s neighbor, was apprehended by the police.
Martinez’s family held a memorial service on May 4 and informed WFAA that they believe Martinez’s death was a hate crime. According to Martinez’s father, Salvador, McEuen had previously stated that Hispanics were unwelcome when they opened their horse ranch in Forney two and a half years ago. CBS News Texas reported this information.
The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office has reported that the recent shooting case is being investigated as a hate crime, as reported by WFAA. However, the motive has not been disclosed yet, and the investigation is still in progress. The unfortunate incident has left behind a 14-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son of the deceased, Martinez.
McEuen is currently in the Kaufman County Jail, charged with murder and a bond of $2 million.
