On the evening of December 19, 2020, 24-year-old Alfredo Vara was at a house on High Noon Road on the far northwest side of Oklahoma City, spending time with his girlfriend and friends. Investigators say an altercation inside the home escalated when Patrick Allen Matthews, 24, opened fire. Matthews shot 34-year-old roommate Johnathan Gonzalez-Leal during the initial confrontation. Alfredo moved toward Gonzalez-Leal to try to render aid; police say Matthews then turned the gun on Alfredo and shot him multiple times.

Alfredo died at the scene. Neighbors described a blood-smeared car and blood trails on the sidewalk before officers arrived. Police reported Matthews emerged from the front of the house and shot himself in front of responding officers; he was taken to a hospital in critical condition and survived. Gonzalez-Leal was also hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

What motivated the shooting and the relationship between those involved remain a central question in the investigation.