WOODBURN, Ore. — A Woodburn man has been sentenced to life in prison after shooting his former brother-in-law multiple times in the back in the middle of a grocery store, killing him.
Jose Garcia-Rivera was sentenced on Tuesday for second-degree murder with a firearm. His sentence is life in prison with the possibility of parole after serving a minimum of 25 years. Last Wednesday, a jury unanimously found him guilty of said murder charge, as well as two counts of recklessly endangering another person, according to the Marion County District Attorney's Office.
Around 4 p.m. on June 4, 2023, at the MegaFoods in Woodburn, Garcia-Rivera came across his ex-brother-in-law, Noel Romero Orozco, in a self-checkout line. According to Garcia-Rivera, Romero Orozco said something "that angered him," and Garcia-Rivera shot Romero Orozco 14 times in the back at close range.
Romero Orozco died at the scene. Garcia-Rivera then laid down his 9mm handgun and surrendered to a security officer.
Bystanders said they had not noticed an argument before the shooting began. Both men were within a few feet of shoppers, including a mother and young daughter, the Marion County District Attorney's Office said.
Deputy District Attorney Justin Barbot-Wheaton called the shooting "brazen, completely senseless and unprovoked," as well as a danger to the community.
Romero Orozco leaves behind four children, a mother, a father, sisters and brothers, with many family members present at multiple hearings and during the trial, as well as providing impact statements before the sentencing.
The Woodburn Police Department investigated the case, along with the Hubbard police, Gervais police, Oregon State Police, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Keizer Police Department.
