José Guadalupe Casas Rodríguez, known as “Don Nico,” the citizen who captured the moment he was shot with his cell phone while broadcasting live, did not survive his injuries and died after being hospitalized for three days.
The death, which occurred early Saturday morning, the 11th, was confirmed by close associates and the municipal government itself. “Don Nico” was shot three times in different parts of the body.
José Guadalupe, who operated the Facebook page “Helados Nico,” used his platform to report community issues, making him an embarrassment to the municipal government.
However, the municipal government itself confirmed the death and also announced that the victim and his family had received extortion calls and threats before and after the attack, prompting the family members to ask for protection, they said. In his last broadcast, made from the entrance to the Urireo community, the man exposed the poor condition of the road, with its potholes and the need for public transportation stops.
The man behind him aimed directly at him and fired several times. When he fell, the cell phone continued recording for almost 45 minutes, capturing the moment the attackers returned to finish him off.
In his final, heartbreaking minutes, the man managed to deliver personal messages and a strong political critique:
“I’m dying… let it remain as a legacy for the people that the damn government is garbage… I love you… take care of my children, educate my children well, I love you.”
The municipal government of Salvatierra confirmed that the victim and his family had received extortion calls and threats before and after the attack.
The family has requested protection from the authorities. A niece of “Don Nico” posted an emotional message on the Facebook page lamenting the incident:
“Now it turns out that he was a good man, a hard worker, with many dreams ahead of him… now someone comes along and snuffs all that out, and ends it all in a matter of seconds. They ended his life and left his family devastated: his wife and children, brothers, and his father.”
