HOUSTON – The family of a Navy veteran who was shot and killed during a road rage incident on Dec. 1 is pleading with the community for answers.
Mauro Gauna, a Navy veteran, was killed while running errands on I-45 north between the U.S. 59 connector and the I-10 interchange, according to the family. His killer is still at large.
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The family joined FIEL, a Houston-area activist group led by immigrants, in a news conference on Thursday, hoping the community would bring answers on what exactly led to the shooting.
“We want to remind people that it is important for them to come forward and help this family find closure,” Cesar Espinosa, FIEL executive director said via the news release. “We believe there to be people out there who bared witness to this since it happened on a part of Houston’s highways which is transited by thousands of people, especially during rush hour. We hope that with the community’s help we can find the people responsible for this and bring them to justice.”
Mauro’s parents held a photo of him when he served a six-month term in Kuwait while in the Navy.
“If anyone knows anything about what had happened to my brother, please contact authorities,” Glenda Duran, Mauro’s sister said during the news conference. “Check your cameras, help us with whatever you may know.”
Duran added that Mauro joined the Navy so his parents wouldn’t have to pay for college.
The family asks for the community’s support in identifying the suspect or suspects responsible for this and is preparing to offer a reward leading up to the capture of the people responsible.
The family said Mauro may have driven on I-45 northbound near downtown between the hours of 6-7 p.m., where it was believed the shooting may have occurred. They said he was driving a gray Ford Mustang with a UT Longhorns sticker, a “Tired Navy Corman” sticker, and Texas Disabled Veterans license plates.
A reward has not been announced as of Thursday, but the family said they are still working on it.
A vigil will be held for Mauro next Thursday, Dec. 23. More details will be released at a later date on a Facebook page created by the family.