A man who shot and killed a father at a baby shower in Norcross two years ago was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison plus five years, according to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office.
A jury convicted Esteven Avila-Vega, 28, of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, officials said in a news release.
The victim, Angel Mendoza-Ramirez, and Avila-Vega were attending the shower on Pepperwood Trail near Norcross on April 16, 2023, when a relative “became inebriated and shot himself in the leg,” according to the DA.
Mendoza-Ramirez took away the weapon to prevent anyone else from getting shot, but Avila-Vega demanded it be returned to the relative, officials said. Avila-Vega then pulled out his own gun and shot Mendoza-Ramirez more than a dozen times, “emptying the weapon and even continuing to pull the trigger after there were no more bullets to fire,” according to the DA.
Credit: GoFundMe
Credit: GoFundMe
Avila-Vega’s girlfriend, Sulma Mejia-Orellana, was also arrested on an aggravated assault charge, which records show is pending in Gwinnett Superior Court. She will likely face trial later this year, a spokesperson for the DA’s office confirmed.
“There is no place for gun violence in Gwinnett County, but a baby shower is an especially egregious place to be armed,” Gwinnett DA Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. “Our hope is that this verdict gives Mr. Mendoza-Ramirez’s family healing that they truly deserve.”
A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $20,000 for Mendoza-Ramirez’s family and for his funeral. The fundraiser called him a “beloved friend” and father who left behind a wife and six children.
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