UPDATE: Identities of Plaza Azteca shooting victims released in GoFundMe

Lucia Garcia
Courtesy: GoFundMe

UPDATE – We are learning new details about the woman and baby shot by the baby’s father Wednesday at Plaza Azteca restaurant in Fargo.

A GoFundMe account is raising money for 21-year-old Lucia Garcia and seven-month-old Dominique. They write Lucia had surgery to repair an artery which caused her to lose almost all of her blood. She is in stable condition and will need another surgery.

A bullet entered the side of the baby’s stomach and through his hand. He is expected to make a full recovery.

They note the relationship between Lucia and 24-year-old Malik Gill was always troubled but she insisted on making it work for the sake of the baby.

In addition to the GoFundMe fundraiser, Plaza Azteca will reopen tomorrow with 50 percent of the proceeds going to the shooting victims.

Click here to give to the GoFundMe.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – We now know the man police say shot a 21-year-old woman and an eight-month-old baby inside a Fargo restaurant Wednesday afternoon.

Twenty-four-year-old Malik Gill of Moorhead was convicted of felony second degree assault with a dangerous weapon in Clay County in May 2020 and was prohibited from owning a gun.

Gill had an active warrant in Cass County from April for simple assault/domestic violence. He was also convicted of fifth degree criminal sexual conduct in 2016 in Otter Tail County.

Police responded to Plaza Azteca off of Veterans Boulevard around 1:45.

Authorities say a Moorhead woman is in critical condition after being shot in the upper body. The infant is in stable condition after being shot in the hand and thigh. Both are at Sanford Medical Center and needed surgery.

Police say Gill and the woman know each other, but did not say if they were in a relationship.

Authorities say during an argument inside the restaurant, Gill pulled out a handgun and fired at the woman while she was holding the child.

The restaurant’s general manager says the woman ran outside while Gill was reloading and he shot at her in the parking lot.

He drove away and police say he ditched his vehicle and stole an SUV in the 4100 block of 66th Street South.

Around 2:45 the Clay County Sheriff’s Office was told the vehicle was in Minnesota and a deputy in the area started a chase. They used stop sticks and the vehicle fled at 85 miles per hour on a flat tire and crashed into trees outside of Silver Lake.

“After a couple successful drone flights, we determined to use less than lethal launchers to break one of the windows and also deploy a pepper ball into the vehicle,” Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting said.

When deputies approached the vehicle, they determined Gill shot and killed himself.

The State Patrol, Department of Natural Resources and police departments from as far away as Barnesville and Detroit Lakes were called in to help.

“To ensure the safety of our residents here. If you look behind us, there are some residents that are close by,” Empting said.

“I don’t think it reflects in any way on the safety of the neighborhood or the restaurant or anything like that. It’s really about the individuals that were here at this particular time and whatever led this suspect to decide that he was going to take somebody’s life,” Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski said.

Plaza Azteca’s general manager says no employees were hurt. He added he’s only seen violence like this in the movies.

Categories: Crime, Local News