A double shooting Monday afternoon at the front entrance of the Honduran Consulate in Doraville left a beloved security guard dead and another person injured.
The guard, identified Tuesday as 45-year-old Jesus Loera, was from Mexico and worked for a security company hired by the consulate. Kiana Roe, who works as a dispatcher at IVS Security Locksmith across from the consulate, described Loera as a sweet and kind man who everyone in the tight-knit business complex on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard appreciated and respected.
“It was a crazy thing that happened to such a wonderful man,” Roe said. “Such a sweet soul.”
Roe said she was eating lunch Monday when she and a coworker heard gunshots around 2:30 p.m. She said they rushed to the window and saw the shooter, with a gun in his hand, get in his truck and leave the scene.
“Everyone is outside trying to figure out what happened, and then from that point, officers came, ambulance came,” she said. “It actually really pains me to even talk about it to be honest.”
Several people who witnessed the shooting told police they saw the suspect, identified as Jose Emanuel Olmo-Rosado, and Loera get into a dispute, an incident report reveals. Witnesses reported that Olmo-Rosado fired at Loera after he pushed the victim and was subsequently pepper-sprayed by Loera, the report adds.
The consulate, located on the ground floor of a two-story building in the complex, was closed Tuesday. The Honduran flag outside the building was lowered to half-staff. The Honduran government said the office will remain closed until Jan. 13.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
In a news conference in Honduras on Monday afternoon, Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina said the suspect tried to enter the consulate with a gun, which is not allowed. He clarified that the suspect did not have an appointment.
Loera was not carrying a gun, Reina confirmed.
The Honduran government issued a declaration of mourning, condemning the death and offering condolences to Loera’s family, including his wife and son. In the declaration, signed by Reina, it confirms Loera was shot multiple times and that even after he was injured, he still managed to close the consulate’s main entrance door to prevent the suspect from entering.
Olmo-Rosado was arrested at a nearby gas station shortly after authorities arrived at the consulate. He is facing charges of murder and aggravated assault, according to jail records.
The second victim was shot in the leg, and officials have not provided an update on his condition.
“(Loera) displayed his fervent commitment to safeguarding the safety of personnel at the Honduran Consulate in Atlanta, as well as migrants who were inside conducting their consular procedures. This action constitutes a true act of courage and solidarity with the Honduran people,” the declaration states.
Credit: Jozsef Papp-Chang
Credit: Jozsef Papp-Chang
Reina said authorities are investigating the nationality of the suspect, who they believe is Honduran. He said the consulate turned over surveillance video to police.
The foreign minister said he is in contact with local and state officials and the State Department, as well as Honduras President Xiomara Castro, U.S. Ambassador in Honduras Laura Dogu and Honduras Ambassador in Washington D.C. Javier Bu.
“We are in contact with Honduran consulate officials, and consistent with our obligations under the Vienna Conventions, the department is committed to the security and safety of diplomatic facilities and the diplomats who work in them,” a State Department spokesperson said, adding that attacks and threats against diplomatic facilities are unacceptable.
In the United States, there are 14 Honduran consulates in addition to the Honduran Embassy in Washington, according to the consulate’s website.
An embassy, typically in a country’s capital, serves as the headquarters for government representatives serving in foreign countries, according to the National Museum of American Diplomacy. Consulates provide similar services as embassies, helping residents from those countries who are in the U.S. Doraville’s Honduran consulate opened in 2010 and is the first in Georgia, the consulate’s website states.
During the investigation, police taped off most of the business complex’s parking lot while officials were inside the office talking to employees. By 5:30 p.m., officers began to leave the scene.
Roe remembered one time when she found a puppy in the parking lot and approached Loera to ask for advice on what to do with the dog. What she didn’t expect is to get a hug from Loera even before she could ask him for help.
“We giggled and laughed, and so I don’t see why anyone would do that to him. He was quite literally just protecting our lives, protecting our business, and it was really a hateful crime of passion,” she said.
Credit: Jozsef Papp
Credit: Jozsef Papp
Josue Valdez stopped by Tuesday afternoon to light candles in honor of Loera. Others stopped by earlier in the day to place flowers and other items outside the consulate’s main entrance.
The men met about a month or two ago after Valdez started working at a nearby restaurant. He said Loera would often come in to have a meal and they would spend time joking.
He said he didn’t hear the gunshot but could see police and an ambulance arriving at the scene and thought a medical emergency had happened. It wasn’t until later that he found out his friend had died.
“We were always joking around about anything, and yesterday when they told me, I did feel sad for the rest of the day,” Valdez said. “It’s really sad that’s the way he went out, but I’m very happy that he saved a bunch of lives from being taken.”
