Joe Anthony Mendoza Obituary, Death; – The 18-year-old victim of a shooting that occurred on Sunday in southeast Houston, which also injured 15 others, was identified on Thursday.
Joe Anthony Mendoza was fatally shot in the early hours of Sunday morning in the 6000 block of Cherryhill Road during a family gathering attended by over 100 individuals. According to reports, the incident took place around 12:30 a.m. when an uninvited guest was asked to leave the party. As he exited, he brandished a firearm and began shooting, prompting some attendees to return fire. The exchange of gunfire resulted in Mendoza sustaining fatal injuries, while 15 others were wounded.
Emergency personnel established a triage area in the parking lot of a nearby fast-food restaurant to assist the injured, whose ages ranged from 16 to 40 years. Several victims were reported to be in critical condition, though no further updates on their statuses have been provided. On Sunday, law enforcement indicated that multiple individuals were questioned regarding the shooting, but no arrests have been made, and no suspect information has been disclosed.
Mendoza’s family has not responded to inquiries via phone or email. In a message on a GoFundMe page set up to cover his funeral expenses, they expressed, ‘He was there for you when you called on him.’ They also described his bright smile. Mendoza graduated from high school last year and recently completed a welding training program, as noted by his family. He was the second oldest of seven brothers.
As of Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser had raised over $12,000. A friend of Mendoza recounted to KPRC that he passed away in the back of a pickup truck, stating, ‘He was telling us to not let him go.’ Christian Sanchez shared that they held his hand until he lost consciousness.
