Walgreens worker shot to death at store mourned by Madera community. ‘A good man’
Hundreds gathered Thursday night in front of the Walgreens in Madera to remember Erick Velasquez.
Mourners arrived and lit candles and placed candles in front of the store where Velasquez was working when he was shot and killed Monday night.
A prayer was led by a priest from St. Joachim Catholic Church while the family stood nearby along with those who came to support the family and remember Velasquez.
“A good friend,” Omar Semejar said of Velasquez, 34. “He would go above and beyond for everybody. If we needed him, he would always be there. He would show up no matter what. Little parties or anything. I would always come visit him here at the store. I’ve known him for 10 plus years since high school. We hung out together. We’re sad that he’s gone.”
Semejar said he was at Walgreens when he saw the alleged shooter, Narciso Gallardo Fernandez, and wanted to go back in the store to check on my friend. “I didn’t know he had already passed away.”
Semejar said he and his sister saw the suspect loading his gun when officers arrived and arrested him.
Velasquez is survived by a wife and two young children, according to a GoFundMe account set up for the family that has generated more than $50,000: “We are trying to raise money to help his family during this very dark and tragic time as they try to remember Erick and all the positive light he brought to this world. We will always remember his big bright smile. He would always encourage us to live life to the fullest just like he did. Erick will truly be missed by his family and his Walgreens family.”
Police Commander Josiah Arnold said Velasquez was loved by many.
“Erick was an upstanding member of the community,” Arnold said. “He was known in the community as just a good, helpful person. Loving father. He’s a good man, and it’s obviously terrible that Erick will not see his kids grow up and be there.”
Madera Police Chief Giachino Chiaramonte said many of the department’s officers knew Velasquez back to their high school days at Madera South.
In fact, Velasquez wanted to go through the police academy like many of his friends.
“Here’s a guy who is starting his family,” Chiaramonte said. “Loving father, loving husband. He wanted a life of service. Trying to become a police officer with Madera PD and this week he was looking at California Highway Patrol and talking to our officers that grew up with him and that are friends with him. Just spoke so highly of his character and who was as a human being. The stories that people tell, but that’s the best part about knowing Erick. His stories live on.”
Velasquez’s mom spoke at length about her son in Spanish and was upset that her son was taken away at a young age.
Friends said Velasquez graduated from Madera South in 2014 before attending Fresno State where he graduated four years later.
Madera Elks Lodge #1918 is putting together a fundraiser for Velasquez’s family and will be selling tri-tip sandwiches for $15 in a drive-thru in the Walgreens parking lot starting at 11 a.m. April 13 until sold out.
“When we heard there was a senseless shooting here and we knew he had a family, we wanted to try to help out the family by doing a fundraiser for his family,” Scott Boghosian said.
Madera Mayor CeCe Gallegos said after learning of the shooting she sat quietly all day thinking about what happened in her city the night before.
“Praying for families who had employees in the store,” she said. “All day I was getting updates and I just sat.”
This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 7:42 AM.
