Fifteen-year-old Ethan Soto of San Antonio was fatally shot on May 16, 2022, after being lured from his home on Alston Street. The shooting followed a dispute that began the previous day when Ethan allegedly took THC cartridges from 17-year-old Victor Nathaneal Rivas. Rivas then reportedly fired at the Soto family’s house; no one was hurt. Ethan’s mother, Gloria Cordova, met with Rivas and paid for the stolen items in an attempt to end the conflict.

Investigators say Rivas recruited an underage girl on Instagram to set up a fake drug deal and message Ethan that she was nearby. When Ethan left his home he was ambushed and shot multiple times; he died at a hospital. Witnesses described a man fleeing in a gold sedan with a red hood, and police recovered Instagram messages outlining the plan. When confronted after the shooting, Rivas denied involvement but reportedly said he wished he had shot Ethan.

Ethan was the only boy among seven brothers and close to his sister Savanah. The family’s loss remains central to the case. If anyone has information about the ambush or the people who fled the scene, please share what is known.