In Loving Memory of Marisol Ramirez & Araceli Valdez
The city of Slaton, Texas, is mourning after a devastating act of domestic and family violence that claimed the lives of two young women and left two others seriously injured. Authorities say that on the night of the incident, 27-year-old George Cantu entered a residence on the 300 block of E. Floyd Street during a dispute reportedly involving marriage and child visitation issues with his common-law ex-wife, 24-year-old Jasmine Rivas. Armed with a gun and under the influence of alcohol, Cantu opened fire, critically injuring Jasmine and 20-year-old Isaiah Chapa.
Tragically, the violence did not end there. Cantu then turned the gun on his own cousins — 18-year-old Marisol Ramirez and 23-year-old Araceli Valdez — fatally shooting both before taking his own life. The sudden loss of Marisol and Araceli has left their family and community shattered, struggling to make sense of a tragedy that unfolded without warning and will leave lasting emotional scars.
Marisol and Araceli were young women with entire lifetimes ahead of them. They were daughters, relatives, friends, and members of a community that will forever feel their absence. Their dreams, milestones, and futures were taken far too soon, leaving loved ones to hold onto memories instead of moments still to come.
As Jasmine and Isaiah fight physically and emotionally to recover, the Slaton community now grieves for two bright lives extinguished by senseless violence. May Marisol and Araceli be remembered for the love they carried, not for the tragedy that took them. May their families receive comfort, strength, and peace in the days ahead.
