Airport Officials: Security Not Breached During Deadly Parking Lot Shooting

Airport officials told ABC-7 that security at El Paso International was not breached during Friday afternoon’s deadly shooting.

Spokeswoman Liz Bellegarde said extra officers will not be dispatched to the airport over the weekend. “Security is (already) in place and response (to the shooting) was handled effectively so there will not be any changes at this time,” she said.

El Paso Police said at about 1:40 p.m. yesterday, the victim, 32-year-old Jimmy Romero, the 26-year-old alleged shooter, David Quinonez, as well as an unnamed woman – all of Roswell – drove up to the short term parking gate in a red Dodge Neon. The three had just arrived at the airport parking lot from a fast food restaurant to pick up the unnamed woman’s relative who had just flown in. On Friday, police said the group were then going to go on a trip to Roswell after picking up the relative.

Andres De La Paz, a taxi driver at the airport who said he saw the whole thing, said he saw the victim arrive in the red car with a man and a woman. As the victim was reaching for the parking pass at the entrance, De La Paz said the other man shot the victim, then took off running.

Police said Romero died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.

El Paso Police said the men got into a fight and that?s when the Romero was shot. Quinonez was arrested in a parking lot west of the car rental area minutes shortly after the shooting by airport, Pebble Hills, and K-9 officers.

The woman who was in the car with them also was questioned.

Police said they have the handgun that was used and are investigating how many times the victim was shot. The gun had been tossed in a bush.

Flights were not affected by the incident.

The El Paso International Airport has several El Paso police officers assigned to the Airport Police Operations and Tactical Support Services that help with security and enforcing laws.

Units within the airport’s Tactical Support Section include the Bomb Squad, Crisis Management Team, Combined Search and Rescue Unit, and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team. According to the Texas Tribune’s government employees database, there are 29 officers assigned to the El Paso Airport Police Operations and Tactical Support Services.