A 37-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador was arrested after shooting and killing two employees at a Chick-fil-A in Irving, Texas, on Wednesday, say local authorities.
The Irving Police Department identified the shooter as Oved Bernardo Mendoza Argueta. He opened fire on workers at the establishment at around 3:40 PM local time on June 26.
The illegal alien from El Salvador has been charged with multiple counts of capital homicide for the incident at the Chick-fil-A, according to police.
Federal immigration authorities confirmed that Mendoza Argueta was in the United States illegally.
Officers responding to the scene found two critically injured victims inside the Chick-fil-A building, but both were shortly pronounced dead at the scene by EMTs who arrived immediately after the shootings.
The police eventually tracked down Mendoza Argueta in his 4-door 1997 Honda during a brief manhunt, after he fled the scene before officers arrived.
Local authorities initially told reporters that the shooting was likely “a targeted incident and that this was not a random act of violence” and that Mendoza Argueta’s spouse was an employee at the Chick-fil-A and an eyewitness to the murders.
His wife was further able to positively identify her husband as the shooter “with certainty,” according to police documents.
A mugshot later released by Irving, Texas ,authorities, showed a shirtless Mendoza Argueta with a emotionless blank stare on his face.
Local news teams reported that screens had been placed in front of some of the windows at the crime scene while police units investigated the shooting.
A helicopter from NBC Dallas Fort Worth, showed dozens of people, including Chick-fil-A employees, standing in the parking lot outside the restaurant.
The illegal from El Salvador is currently being held in the Irving City jail awaiting arraignment, said police.
A spokesperson for ICE told Fox News that its Enforcement and Removal Operations in Dallas “lodged an immigration detainer with the Irving Police Department on Mendoza.”
An immigration detainer is used to hold noncitizens accused of committing a crime who have been arrested by the police.
The Irving Police Department confirmed with Fox News that Mendoza Argueta had an “ICE hold” under the orders of Immigration and Naturalization Service Dallas/Fort Worth.
Irving Police investigators said they gathered enough evidence to determine that the defendant’s actions were pre-meditated with an intent to kill.
According to Mendoza Argueta’s arrest warrant, one of his victims has been identified as Patricia Portillo.
The police have yet to release the name of the second victim, as their next-of-kin had yet to be notified.
The owner of the Texas Chick-fil-A franchise confirmed the deaths of the two employees and released a press statement with condolences to the victims’ families and praise for local law enforcement’s response.
“Our hearts are broken by the tragedy that unfolded inside our restaurant Wednesday. We will miss our two Team Members dearly,” said the statement.
“Right now, our focus is on providing care for our Team and the victims’ families. I want to thank the Irving Police Department for their professionalism and compassion. We will continue working closely with them as they conduct their investigation.”
