Carlos Garcia

Carlos Garcia was a 19-year-old Arizona State University student with a bright future. The Hispanic/Latino male was studying computer science engineering and had ambitions of joining the Air Force or studying abroad in Germany after graduation. Described by his family as quiet, shy, and funny, he was the oldest of three siblings and a devoted big brother who loved bringing his family together to make plans. His mother, Christina Castro, remembered all the things she would never get to see, like him graduating with his friends.

On the night of Thursday, July 2, 2020, Carlos left his job and stopped at a store near 19th and Southern avenues in Phoenix. He often drank Monster energy drinks to stay up late doing homework, and his family believes that's why he was there. At approximately 11:45 p.m., while waiting in line at a walk-up window, he was struck by a bullet. Witnesses reported seeing a dark-colored four-door sedan driving away eastbound on West Southern Avenue just after the shooting. Phoenix Police and Fire Department crews responded, but Carlos was pronounced dead at the scene.

For over six months, his family waited for answers. Phoenix police detectives worked the case, eventually determining that Carlos was not the intended target of the drive-by shooting. Investigators meticulously gathered forensic evidence and witness statements, hoping for a breakthrough in what appeared to be a random act of violence that had stolen a promising young life.

The break in the case came in January 2021, when Phoenix police arrested 15-year-old Kevontay Myers in connection with the shooting. Despite his age, Myers was charged as an adult with first-degree murder, a drive-by shooting, and misconduct involving weapons. The arrest brought a measure of relief to Carlos’s grieving family, though his mother expressed the profound pain of wondering what might have been if the night had gone differently.

In July 2023, the case reached its conclusion when Kevontay Myers pleaded guilty for his role in the fatal shooting. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.