The fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Houston remains under scrutiny as his sons share heartbreaking new details about learning of his death.
Source: Danielle Villasana / Getty
Salgado Araujo was killed during a July 8 traffic stop after an ICE agent opened fire, with the agency maintaining the agent acted in self-defense after alleging Salgado Araujo rammed a law enforcement vehicle during what officials described as a targeted enforcement operation. His family and witnesses have disputed that account, fueling protests, vigils and mounting calls for transparency and an independent investigation into the shooting.
As investigations continue, Salgado Araujo’s sons are now speaking publicly about the devastating way they learned of their father’s death, saying they received no official notification before discovering what happened through online videos and news reports.
Sons Say They Learned Their Father Had Been Killed Through Online Videos And News Reports
Speaking to CBS News, Salgado Araujo’s eldest son, Ronaldo Salgado, said he first realized something was wrong after seeing a video online showing his father lying wounded after the shooting.
“He was actively bleeding. He was screaming for someone to help him,” Ronaldo said. “I just felt a lot of fear at that point. And I was running around the site trying to look for answers but those answers never came.”
His younger brother, Lorenzo Salgado Jr., said he was flying to Houston in hopes of seeing his father when he learned he had died.
“Maybe an hour into the flight, I opened the same article that reported that the person had been shot,” he recalled. “Then the article updated to read, ‘shot, killed.’”
The younger Salgado said he quietly fought back tears for the remainder of the flight, knowing he would never get the chance to say goodbye to his father, who had lived in the United States for more than 30 years.
Ronaldo also shared that he continues to struggle with guilt over not arriving sooner.
“I’m always going to feel some sort of guilt that I could have been there sooner, that I could have done something,” he said through tears.
The brothers described their father as a hardworking construction business owner who immigrated from Mexico in search of better opportunities for his family. They said he took pride in honest work and believed deeply in the promise of the American dream.
Communities have garnered financial support for the family. According to KXAN Austin, the Salgado Araujo Family GoFundMe has raised more than $400,000 through over 9,400 donations, reaching roughly 83 percent of its $500,000 fundraising goal within days of his death.
Salgado Araujo’s family organized the fundraiser alongside the League of United Latin American Citizens Institute and remains active as donations continue to arrive.
KXAN states that organizers say the money will go directly to Salgado Araujo’s wife and their three sons to help cover funeral and burial expenses, legal fees and everyday living costs after losing the family’s primary provider.
The fundraiser also offers a glimpse into the life Salgado Araujo built over more than three decades. Organizers describe him as a respected construction business owner known for his work ethic, fairness and generosity toward others.
“He was the kind of man who showed up: for his family, for his friends, for his neighbors, and on every job he ever took,” the fundraiser states.
Salgado Araujo and his wife are also described as high school sweethearts who spent more than 35 years building a life together while raising their three sons.
“Everything he built, he built for them,” the fundraiser adds.
Organizers continue encouraging supporters who cannot donate financially to share the verified fundraiser online.
Local Officials Demand More Transparency As Investigation Continues
Local officials continue pressing federal authorities for greater transparency as multiple investigations into Salgado Araujo’s fatal shooting remain underway.
According to CNN, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare has criticized the lack of collaboration between local and federal agencies, saying his office has yet to receive access to critical evidence, including Salgado Araujo’s work van.
“Sadly, what we’re getting on the local side is updates via X and Twitter, so that’s not the best practice,” Teare said.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire echoed those concerns, telling CNN that federal authorities have maintained control over evidence that would typically be shared with local investigators.
“The FBI has all the evidence that would normally go in to an HPD or other law enforcement agency’s investigation,” Whitmire said.
Questions also remain about the events leading up to the shooting. While ICE has maintained that an agent acted in self defense during what it described as a targeted operation, Rep. Sylvia Garcia said accounts from passengers who were inside Salgado Araujo’s van differ from the federal agency’s version of events.
“It almost looks like it’s two different incidents,” Garcia said.
CNN states that investigators continue examining several unresolved issues, including conflicting descriptions of the traffic stop, whether Salgado Araujo was the intended target of the operation and the absence of body camera footage. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled Salgado Araujo’s death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the torso.
Separate investigations by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the FBI and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office remain ongoing.
