On January 14, 2023, at about 2:06 a.m., 21-year-old Romeo Xavier Portillo was shot and killed near Market Street and South Broadway in downtown Turlock, California. A 20-year-old man was also injured and taken to a local hospital in stable condition. Authorities say the shooting grew out of an altercation at a local bar and was not random; investigators reported the involvement of multiple firearms and several people.

Detectives identified 22-year-old Gary Harold Jackson Jr. as the primary suspect. Jackson was arrested on March 28, 2023, in Cobb County, Georgia, after entering the Cobb County Police Department to apply for an alcohol permit and a routine background check revealed an outstanding Stanislaus County warrant. He was taken into custody without incident and was awaiting extradition to California to face homicide and attempted homicide charges.

Portillo’s mother, Sharon Threadgill, described Jackson as a family friend who visited their home after the shooting and suggested envy may have been a motive. The Turlock Police Department urged anyone with information to contact Detective Gina Giovacchini at (209) 668-6539 or the Turlock Police Department Tip Line at (209) 668-5550 extension 6780.

Did anyone in the community know Romeo or have information about the bar altercation that led to this shooting?