Family of migrant who died in Hudspeth County shooting in 2022 suing alleged shooter’s employer
HUDSPETH COUNTY, Texas (KVIA) -- The family of the migrant who was allegedly shot and killed in a confrontation with a jail warden in Hudspeth County in 2022 has filed a lawsuit against the warden's former employer. A woman who was injured in the shooting also joined the lawsuit. Now a judge is ordering the civil case be brought in front of a jury.
Jesus Ivan Sepúlveda Martinez died in the shooting. Berenice Casias Carrillo was injured. Sepúlveda's parents, wife, and child filed the lawsuit along with Casias. They are suing LaSalle Corrections V LLC, the company that runs the West Texas Detention Facility.
On September 27, 2022 at approximately 7 p.m., Sepúlveda and Casias were walking in the desert near Sierra Blanca and stopped to drink water out of a reservoir near Indian Hot Spring Road and FM 1111.
Brothers Mark Sheppard and Mike Sheppard stopped the truck they were driving near the reservoir. The lawsuit says the truck belonged to the detention facility. Mike Sheppard was the warden and highest ranking employee at the detention facility. The lawsuit says that "Mark Sheppard was employed as a detention officer with Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Department."
The lawsuit says that Mike Sheppard got out of the truck with a shotgun, aimed and fired two rounds. He allegedly shot and killed Sepúlveda, and injured Casias, the lawsuit states.
The plaintiffs requested a trial by jury. It is scheduled to start Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 10:30 AM.
