Gunman Fatally Shoots Man 12+ Times At Gwinnett Baby Shower: DA

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A jury recently found a 28-year-old man guilty of murder and other charges in the shooting death of another man at a Norcross baby shower, prosecutors said Monday.

The Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office said Esteven Avila-Vega will be sentenced at a later date after recently being convicted of malice murder and felony murder in the April 2023 fatal shooting of Angel Mendoza-Ramirez, 39.

A relative who was inebriated at the April 16 baby shower, where Avila-Vega and his wife attended, shot himself in the leg, prosecutors said.

Mendoza-Ramirez retrieved the handgun from the relative and hid it to hinder any other "misfires near children in attendance," prosecutors said.

They accused Avila-Vega of then demanding for the gun's return and engaging in a dispute with Mendoza-Ramirez.

Avila-Vega then pulled out another handgun and shot at least a dozen times at Mendoza-Ramirez, emptying the clip, prosecutors said. They added Avila-Vega kept pulling the trigger even when there were no more bullets.

Aside from murder, a jury found Avila-Vega guilty of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, prosecutors said.

“There is no place for gun violence in Gwinnett County, but a baby shower is an especially egregious place to be armed,” Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a news release. “Our hope is that this verdict gives Mr. Mendoza-Ramirez’s family healing that they truly deserve.”

ALSO SEE: Get The Latest Local News (For Free!) With One Quick Tap