Tensions over a cache of stolen shoes valued at $6,000 exploded into violence at Barton Creek Square Mall last month, resulting in a shooting that injured one and sent shoppers into a panic. The dispute, tied to a home burglary, played out in a public tableau of fear and chaos just feet away from holiday shoppers.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KVUE, the alleged shooter has been identified as 19-year-old Vincent Gutierrez, now facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The confrontation was the culmination of a series of events that began to quickly spiral after a home burglary and an online advert for the stolen goods.
Witnesses at the scene described hearing three gunshots, which sent patrons to desperately seek refuge. Bella Schulz, a shopper, recalled to KVUE, "It was just scary seeing everybody just running to the store, and I'm sitting there like I'm about to take my other car seat and then I see my boyfriend run up to me you know, like, 'They're shooting, they're shooting.' My heart was beating so fast because I didn't know if it was an isolated incident or a mass shooting. I was expecting the worst." M.J. Andres, an employee at the mall, echoed the terror, recounting, "Everybody ran out. The whole mall cleared out right here at Cheesecake [Factory]. I mean, it's three gunshots, people are going to hear it and just run."
A deeper dive into the incident by FOX 7 Austin unearthed further details, spotlighting the interplay between the victim, J. Cooper, and the alleged assailants. Cooper stated he was there to purchase shoes with a friend when the altercation unfolded. Meanwhile, Joe Celso Perez, initially identified as Jose Valdez, found himself under arrest for Failure to Identify. He claimed he, too, was there to sell shoes and was attacked without provocation. Only later did Gutierrez emerge as the suspect, linked to the shooting and the prior burglary through a digital breadcrumb on Facebook Marketplace – a profile operating under the moniker "Goon Moontop."
