Background: Myst Hookah + Ultra Lounge in San Antonio, Texas (Google Maps). Inset (from left to right): Joseph Amador and Lauren Machado-Juarez (San Antonio Police Department).
A seemingly ordinary evening at a Texas hookah lounge spiraled into chaos and tragedy when a shooting erupted, claiming the lives of two individuals. The grim incident unfolded on the patio of the establishment, where patrons became targets of gunfire, according to local authorities.
Following an investigation, the San Antonio Police Department revealed that 34-year-old Joseph Amador and 35-year-old Lauren Machado-Juarez are facing charges of capital murder. The department announced their arrests on Friday, confirming the duo’s involvement in the incident.
The victims, identified as 27-year-old Derek Brown and 50-year-old Kyung Lee, tragically lost their lives in the attack. This information was reported by KENS, a local CBS affiliate, as the community grapples with the aftermath of the violence.
The sequence of events began as Tuesday night transitioned into the early hours of Wednesday at the Myst Hookah + Ultra Lounge in San Antonio. Police reports indicate that Amador and Machado-Juarez engaged in an altercation inside the venue, leading to their ejection by security personnel.
Shortly after being removed, the duo allegedly returned with a deadly resolve. An arrest affidavit reviewed by KENS details how a woman, now identified as Machado-Juarez, drove a Ford Fusion with its lights off, with Amador as her passenger. The vehicle circled the lounge, positioning the passenger to open fire on the unsuspecting patrons on the patio.
Witnesses recounted hearing approximately 20 gunshots, underscoring the terrifying and rapid escalation of violence that night. Authorities assert that Machado-Juarez and Amador were the individuals involved, casting a dark shadow over what should have been a peaceful gathering.
“As soon as I kinda walked in the door, that’s when I heard the gunshots fire,” a witness told San Antonio-based ABC affiliate KSAT. “I didn’t really think anything at it at first … until I looked back and saw like two bodies down. Then I actually started like getting into like a panic mode.”
Investigators said they were able to identify the car and track down its owner, with detectives — two days later — seeing the two suspects exit an apartment and get into that vehicle. The defendants were arrested, and a handgun was recovered in the vehicle, according to KENS.
At the time of their arrests, both Amador and Machado-Juarez had outstanding warrants for charges not related to the shooting, police claim.
