Mary Santos Ruiz was 44 when she was killed on May 16, 1993, in Fresno, California. She was one of seven people shot to death when two gunmen entered Carrillo’s Club, a southeast Fresno bar, just after closing and opened fire.

The primary suspect named in the case was Johnnie Malarkey, who later confessed to fatally shooting seven people at Carrillo’s Club as part of a robbery. Malarkey’s confession came as part of a plea bargain in which prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty; he received eight consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, along with other sentences for unrelated crimes from 1993. The second gunman, believed to be Allen Heflin, died by suicide in October of the same year and was not prosecuted.

The Carrillo’s Club massacre is remembered as one of Fresno County’s worst mass murders and deeply affected the community. If anyone knew Mary Santos Ruiz or has information about that night, please share what might help complete the record.