San Marcos sent officers to respond to a domestic disturbance call On April 19, Saturday, but they were not expecting an active shooter to injure two of their officers and kill another.
San Marcos Police Department reports that officers went to Twin Lake Villas Apartment complex at 6:05p.m., responding to a domestic/assault disturbance that had been called in.
A graduate of Texas A&M University and had been with SMPD for five and a half years, Officer Justin Putnam was fatally injured at the age of thirty one.
Officer Putnam’s unexpected death leaves behind his fiance and family, although they will have public safety backgrounds. “We lost a fine young man last night,” states Interim Chief of Police, Bob Klett.
Officer Franco who had been an officer for five months and Officer Justin Mueller who was an officer for ten months, were rushed to Ascension Seton Hays to undergo a surgery after being in a fatal ambush domestic call, Saturday night. They have been confirmed to be in critical but stable condition.
Alfred Pérez De La Cruz, age forty-five and prime suspect, was found dead inside the crime scene with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police stated that when they arrived he was fully in body armor and started shooting once they were in sight.
Police Interim Chief, Klett, spoke “We ask for your support for our fellow officers and their families as we try to cope with yet another tragic event in our San Marcos Police Family……We are heartbroken to make this announcement.”
Governor Abbott had this statement to say after the shooting:
“Tonight’s shooting in San Marcos is a somber reminder of the service and sacrifice our brave men and women in law enforcement make every day to keep us safe. I am grateful for the swift action of the San Marcos Police Department in containing the threat and minimizing the loss of life. I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for the officer killed and for those injured, and for the continued safety of all law enforcement officers who protect our communities.”
