An armed murder suspect allegedly opened fire, shooting three Laredo, Texas, police officers and injuring a fourth. The suspect is reported to be dead.
Police were searching for 55-year-old Antonio Gerado Rodriguez in connection to the shooting death of his girlfriend, according to a report by KSAT ABC12 in San Antonio. The shootout between the suspect and the police happened at a Stripes convenience store. Police reports identified the murder victim as Reyna Gonzalez Zamora, 50.
Laredo Police Department Investigator Joe Baeza told Breitbart Texas the suspect was spotted by three officers involved in the search. Rodriguez opened fire on the officers with a hundgun. The officers returned fire.
Additional responding officers engaged the suspect and continued shooting until the suspect went down. Baeza confirmed three officers were shot and a fourth officer received an injury from flying glass during the shooting.
An unnamed source within the department with knowledge of the situation told Breitbart Texas that one officer had been shot in the face. That officer has been airlifted by helicopter to San Antonio where the officer will undergo surgery.
Baez said that officer is in serious condition.
The other three officers received non-life threatening wounds — one to the shoulder, one in the leg, and one in the hand the unnamed source stated.
Emergency personnel transported Rodriguez to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“We ask the community for prayers for the officer and their families,” Detective Baeza told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Laredo police officers issued an “armed and dangerous” alert for the suspect. The officers later found him at the convenience store and shooting soon broke out.
Earlier on Friday, officers were dispatched to a house to conduct a welfare check on a woman. When they arrived, they found the woman had been shot. She sustained a single gunshot wound to the upper torso. She died at the scene from her wound, the Laredo Morning Times reported. The original shooting took place at about 11:15 a.m. Friday.
Editor’s Note; This developing story has been updated with new information about the officers injured in the shooting.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.