17-Year-Old 'Person of Interest' in South Plains Mall Shooting

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17-year-old Jake Zachariah Canales, who was involved in a standoff with the Lubbock Police SWAT Team on Wednesday, May 5th, has been named a 'person of interest' in the murder of 18-year-old Christopher Castillo.

Back on Tuesday, May 4th, Lubbock Police responded to a parking lot between the South Plains Mall and and the outdoor carnival at around 10 p.m. for reports of shots fired. Castillo was located with a gunshot wound to the chest, and was later pronounced dead.

KAMC News reports that a witness on the scene said Castillo and a group of other people were taking pictures with a gun. One of the people in that group apparently shot Castillo.

After gaining information from this witness, officers talked with Canales, who said that Castillo had stolen $250 from him, so he stole a gun from Castillo as payback. Police say that as Canales took Castillo's gun, Castillo grabbed him. A single shot then rang out, and Castillo is said to have fallen to the ground.

This is why police served a warrant against Canales for theft of a firearm on Wednesday, May 5th. As of right now, Canales is only a person of interest, and only has the charge of theft of a firearm against him in Lubbock County Jail records. He remains jailed on bonds totaling $150,000.