3 Arrested In Connection To Deadly Shootout, Police Say They Were Armed

Court filings reveal more about the moments leading up to a mass shootout in Oklahoma City that left one man dead and 14 others injured.

According to investigators, three men who were arrested shortly after the shooting were armed with guns, one of them with an assault rifle.

New court filings show all three suffered gunshot wounds after an argument escalated into an exchange of gunfire.

A small vigil now sits outside Patty’s Event Center. A message painted on the sidewalk reads "Long live Gerardo Sandoval, Jr." “What can we do about it? Life goes on, but I feel bad for his mom and stuff,” said Jose Avila, a friend of Gerardo Sandoval, Jr.

Just 18 years old, Sandoval was gunned down outside the event center early Saturday morning.

"I just heard the shots popping off a couple of different times. Like pop, pop, pop. Three or four," said Oklahoma City resident John Qualm.

A crowd was gathered inside the building for a Halloween party when chaos erupted. “Shots were fired inside and outside the building,” said Capt. Valerie Littlejohn, Oklahoma City Police Department. “Then everybody just peeled off, everyone went in all different directions, this way and that way,” said Qualm.

In a court affidavit, investigators said one of two altercations unfolded. The first one was caught on camera. Police say outside the front door, Jaziel Ramos, 19, pointed a pistol at Sandoval, and they stepped out of sight before the crowd scattered. Police say Ramos then followed Thomas Santiago and Abraham Violante inside, where a barrage of gunfire erupted. Police say all three were armed with guns. Sandoval died at the scene. “You get into an argument, and you're under the influence, and it goes zero to a hundred real quick,” said Avila.

Ramos, Santiago, and Violante were shot. Arriving medical personnel said they saw Ramos "discard a firearm." Police said Violante lied, claiming he was shot multiple times after he was "caught in the crossfire."

However, police say video shows he was armed with an "assault rifle" that he fired multiple times, injuring multiple people.

Two of the three men are facing a first-degree murder complaint.

It's still early in the investigation. Police ask that anyone with information call the Homicide Tip Line at 405-297-1200.