Garland police ID teen as suspected gunman in fatal gas station shooting

Garland police said they’ve identified the gunman who fatally shot three teenagers at a gas station Sunday and believe he is armed, dangerous and evading arrest. Officers are searching for 14-year-old Abel Elias Acosta. The Dallas Morning News does not typically name juveniles suspected of a crime but is making an exception because Acosta is believed to pose a threat to public safety. “Anyone who has knowledge of the whereabouts of Abel is encouraged to call 911 immediately,” Garland police said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.

Police intend to pursue a capital murder charge for Acosta, whose father has been arrested and is suspected of driving the gunman to and from the gas station. The shooting killed three teen boys — 14-year-old Xavier Gonzalez, 16-year-old Ivan Noyala, and 17-year-old Rafael Garcia — and wounded a 15-year-old cook who had started working at the store last week. The 15-year-old’s name has not been release. Police said Acosta’s father, 33-year-old Richard Acosta Jr., drove him to and from the gas station Sunday night. Richard Acosta was seen on surveillance camera footage inside the store shortly before the shooting, police said. Video footage showed the shooter get out of the truck, crouch along the store windows, open the front door and shoot at least 20 times, police said.