At 17 years old, Dylan Montes of Lubbock, Texas, was a proud and devoted young father. He and his girlfriend, Amethyst Castro, whom he had known since middle school, were building a life together. They had their own apartment and car, and were raising their son, who was nearly two, and a newborn daughter, who was less than two weeks old. His father, Rito Ramirez, recalled visiting a week before his death and telling Dylan how proud he was of him for working, trying to go to school, and providing for his family. His mother, Simona Vasquez, remembered him as a good kid who loved school and helping his teachers. Dylan was a caring and protective Hispanic male who, his family said, always put others before himself.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, October 8, 2022, that promising life was cut short. Just after 4:00 a.m., Lubbock Police responded to a call of shots fired in the 2300 block of 143rd Street in South Lubbock.
When officers arrived, they found Dylan Montes in the front yard of a house, suffering from a serious gunshot wound. He was rushed by ambulance to University Medical Center, where he underwent several emergency surgeries but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation by the Lubbock Police Department’s Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit soon revealed that Dylan had been with friends in a shed behind the home. His girlfriend received a call from one of the friends, who told her they had been playing with a gun when it accidentally went off and hit Dylan. His family believed from the beginning that the shooting was a tragic accident, a sentiment later echoed by investigators. At the scene, police found a loaded magazine, a spent shell casing, several live rounds, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in the shed.
For months, the case remained under investigation with no arrests made. Dylan’s family grieved, holding fundraisers, including selling barbecue plates, to cover funeral expenses. They also held a vigil at Strong Park to honor his memory. Dylan's father spoke out about the dangers of gun violence, hoping his son's story could serve as a warning. “It’s too easy to get a gun now,” Rito Ramirez said. “I want to leave a legacy in his name against gun violence… if we could save one life because of his life then we can leave that legacy for him.”
In January 2023, the investigation led to a charge of manslaughter against Dylan’s friend, 20-year-old Adrian Garcia. After police issued a public request for help in locating him, Garcia turned himself in to the Lubbock County Detention Center and was held on a $50,000 bond. A grand jury indicted him on the charge, and court documents revealed more about the tragic moments in the shed. Prosecutors said Garcia, who was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, pointed a semi-automatic pistol at Montes, believing it was unloaded, and pulled the trigger while pretending to be in a duel.
The legal process concluded in March 2025. Adrian Garcia, then 22, appeared in court and pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a second-degree felony. As part of a plea agreement with the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office, Garcia was sentenced to 10 years of probation, also known as community supervision. The terms of his sentence also included a 30-day period of "shock jail time" to be served on weekends. If he violates his probation, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
Garcia’s attorney stated that his client had been struggling with immense guilt and sorrow over the loss of his best friend since the day of the shooting. The prosecutor acknowledged the shooting was unintentional but described Garcia’s actions as reckless and egregiously dangerous. As of March 2025, the criminal case is closed, leaving Dylan Montes's loved ones to navigate their lives without him, forever changed by a moment of reckless gunplay.
