HOUSTON, Texas — The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo said they learned of his death through social media before receiving official notification from authorities after he was fatally shot during a federal immigration enforcement operation Tuesday morning in Houston.
Speaking at a Wednesday news conference, Salgado Araujo’s eldest son recounted the hours following the shooting, describing how the family searched for answers after his father failed to arrive at work.
According to his son, Salgado Araujo left home shortly before 6 a.m. after preparing for work and was expected to pick up members of his construction crew before heading to a job site in north Houston. When the family realized something was wrong, his son first drove to the work site hoping to find his father’s work van.
After finding no sign of him, he said he came across reports of federal immigration activity near Canal Street on Facebook and drove to the scene.
“When I arrived in the east end, I found my dad’s van, but no sign of him,” he said. “I saw a video posted on Facebook that he had been shot. I recognized him immediately, not from his appearance, but from his voice crying for help as he lay on the street bleeding out.”
The son said he remained at the scene for hours seeking information before traveling to Ben Taub Hospital after being told his father may have been there.
Despite repeatedly asking for information, he said the family did not receive confirmation from hospital staff or law enforcement before learning of Salgado Araujo’s death through social media.
“I learned of my father’s passing from a news report on social media. Not the hospital, not law enforcement,” he said.
Representatives with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) said they also questioned why the family was not officially notified before federal authorities publicly identified Salgado Araujo.
Family members said they are seeking a full, transparent investigation into the shooting and hope additional evidence, including body camera footage and witness video, will help explain what occurred.
