Overview
- The shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. Sunday outside Mexcal Cantina Pacifico on the North Freeway near I‑45 and West Airtex, after an argument between two groups in the parking lot escalated.
- Investigators say one person pulled a gun from a vehicle and fired, leaving 18‑year‑old Jonathan Mata dead at a hospital and a 20‑year‑old relative wounded and expected to recover.
- A witness followed the suspect’s vehicle while relaying updates to 911, which led deputies and Houston police to locate and detain the suspect for questioning.
- Harris County later identified and arrested 19‑year‑old Juan Lopez and charged him with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; the suspect was taken to the HCSO homicide office.
- Homicide detectives are working to confirm the victims’ relationship, reconstruct the sequence of events in the parking lot, and gather witness and video evidence to support the case.