80-year-old shot in the head by stray bullet dies after attending graduation, cops say

An 80-year-old woman leaving a graduation ceremony was killed when she was caught in the crossfires of a shooting between two groups, Texas authorities say.

San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus said the Sunday, May 26, shooting happened as the woman was leaving a graduation at the Alamodome. A second person also was shot.

“This shooting last night made me sick to my stomach,” McManus said in a news briefing Monday streamed by KSAT.

Police said the shooting was carried out by “two groups of young men carrying guns who decided to shoot it out with no regard to anyone else’s safety in the area.” It’s unclear what led to the shooting.

The 80-year-old woman was shot in the head and died after being taken to a hospital, the San Antonio Express-News reported. She was identified as Heidi Silkworth, of Euless, a suburb of Dallas.

The second victim, a 19-year-old man, was hospitalized and listed in critical condition, according to KENS. He was in the group involved in the shooting, the station reported.

McManus said nine people were detained for questioning, but no arrests had been announced as of Memorial Day. He said he was “somewhat confident” investigators would be able to close the case.

When an arrest or arrests are made, charges could include murder and aggravated assault, the police chief said.

This story was originally published May 28, 2024 at 9:30 AM with the headline "80-year-old shot in the head by stray bullet dies after attending graduation, cops say."