Juveniles charged with murder in Hilltop shooting

Four juvenile males – age 15 to 16 -- were charged Thursday morning with murder after a gun deal "went bad" in the Hilltop Shopping Center parking lot on West 21st Street in Clovis.

Court records allege Marcos Ramirez, 26, met the boys with a gun he had for sale late Wednesday afternoon. One of the boys then shot Ramirez who died soon after at Plains Regional Medical Center, police allege.

A man who was with the victim told police he saw one of the boys fire a gun into the back seat of a car where Ramirez was just before he was pushed out of the car onto the pavement.

The man with Ramirez then fired at the boys, court records show. Two of the boys were shot – one in the neck and one in the arm -- and were being treated at a Lubbock hospital. The boy shot in the neck was in critical but stable condition late last week after undergoing surgery, police said. Two other boys in the car were also in police custody.

The man who told police he shot at the boys was not immediately charged. District Attorney Quentin Ray told The News the incident remained under investigation.

Court records show the violence began about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday when the boys met Ramirez in the parking lot outside Red Arrow Bingo.

Ramirez and the other man were in a white Audi. Ramirez exited his car and then got in a black car occupied by four boys, records show.

"(S)hortly after, the car took off with Marcos inside," records show.

The man with Ramirez told police he "panicked and got into the driver side of the white Audi car and followed the black car towards the Future Generations (business) area where it stopped."

The witness told police he saw someone "step out of the car, point a gun into the backseat, heard 3 shots and Marcos was then pushed out of the car onto the pavement."

The witness told police he then began shooting in the direction of the boys. "The young males continued to shoot back towards him as he was checking on Marcos," records show.

Investigators were told the boys had planned to rob Ramirez by paying him with fake bills. One of the boys told police he took a gun that belonged to another boy and threw it in a back yard in the 300 block of Kathie Street. The gun Ramirez was trying to sell remained in its case in Ramirez's car, records show.

At some point during the shooting, the car the juveniles were in crashed into a residence at Main and John Doe streets. The homeowners were not injured, police said.

The two boys who were shot were soon transported to the Clovis hospital before being transported to Lubbock. Records show the other boys were located in a nearby home after police followed a trail of discarded clothing.

Joshua Ramirez, Marcos Ramirez's cousin, issued a statement that read in part:

"My prayers go out to all families involved in this unexpected and tragic situation.

"Marcos Fernandez Ramirez was an honorable United States Marine. He enlisted in 2016 right after graduating from Clovis High School. Just hearing his name brings a smile.

"Regardless of choices made ...no one should have to feel this hurt or worry. I truly pray safety and guidance for all of the families."

If he could speak to his cousin, he said he'd tell him: "I love you, prim."

Police records also identify the deceased as Marcos Fernandez and Marcos Fernandez-Ramirez. Relatives of the victim said he went by Marcos Ramirez.

The man who was with Ramirez and allegedly shot at the boys is not identified in this report because The News does not identify potential criminal suspects not charged with a crime. The boys are not identified because The News does not routinely name juveniles accused of crimes unless they are charged as adults.

Ray, the district attorney, said no decision had been made on whether to charge the juveniles as adults. "Part of that decision will depend on the juvenile's criminal history and ultimate culpability," he told The News.

Wednesday's slaying marked Clovis' fifth homicide this year. Two women were killed in Ned Houk Park in May, a teenager was shot to death outside the Clovis Apartments in September and a 78-year-old woman was shot to death when she answered her front door in October.

The suspect in the September slaying, Giovanni Brown-Johnson, 18, remains at large. Other suspects all are in police custody awaiting trial.