Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s family has added to the growing calls for transparency following the fatal shooting of the 52-year-old Mexican construction business owner by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Houston.
His wife and three sons have openly contested the ICE’s version of events while local and federal investigations are ongoing.
The shooting occurred Tuesday morning in Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood during what ICE described as a targeted immigration enforcement operation. According to the agency, Lorenzo attempted to evade arrest by ramming a law enforcement vehicle as he ignored repeated commands. An ICE agent then fatally shot Lorenzo in self-defence.
According to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, Lorenzo died from a penetrating gunshot wound to the torso. His death has been ruled a homicide.
His family strongly disputes that version of events, arguing he would have cooperated had he known those pursuing him were federal officers.
Also read: Who was Lorenzo Salgado Araujo? Outrage across Texas as ICE fatally shoots Mexican man who lived in US for 35 years
Who are Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s family?
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is survived by his wife and their three sons. Family members say he spent more than three decades building a life in Houston after emigrating from Mexico.
His eldest son, Ronaldo Salgado, has become the family’s public voice. Ronaldo described his father as a devoted husband, hardworking businessman and mentor who employed dozens of workers through his construction company, to CNN.
“My father did not deserve to be reduced to a headline,” Ronaldo said, urging the public to remember him as a family man rather than just an immigration case.
According to his family, Salgado Araujo and his wife met as teenagers in Mexico. The couple eventually settled in Texas. They raised three sons together. CNN reported that Ronaldo became a teacher, while his younger brothers pursued engineering careers.
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Family seeks answers as support grows
Authorities have yet to release body-camera footage, surveillance video or additional evidence detailing the encounter.
CNN reported that Ronaldo Salgado recognised his father’s voice from a social media video recorded after the shooting. In the footage, Lorenzo can allegedly be heard crying, “Help me! They shot me!” as he lay on the ground awaiting medical assistance.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General is investigating the shooting. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has also launched its own investigation but says key evidence remains under federal control.
Community organizations have increased pressure on authorities. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has demanded transparency and launched a GoFundMe campaign that has raised close to $300,000 for the family.
At a Thursday news conference, LULAC CEO Juan Proaño alleged that Lorenzo’s wife initially could not claim her husband’s body because she lacked the required legal documentation.
“Before putting Lorenzo into the ambulance and sending him to the hospital, they took away all his personal identification. There was nothing to identify him when he arrived at the hospital and as a result the hospital took him in as a John Doe,” he said.
The Mexican government has also announced plans to pursue legal and civil measures to protect the rights of Mexican nationals in the United States, citing Lorenzo’s death and other recent immigration-related cases.
