Deputies in Greenville County responded to a 911 call at 1:43 a.m. on April 27, 2026, after reports of a gunshot victim in the 6300 block of White Horse Road. When they arrived, they found 26 year old Gustavo Angel Santiago Espinoza lying in a parking lot with at least one gunshot wound. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed his identity and ruled the death a homicide. Investigators determined that the shooting happened during a verbal altercation that escalated into violence. The incident took place in a shopping plaza area where deputies found evidence consistent with a close range confrontation.
Authorities quickly identified 32-year-old Gerald Eveliz Lopez Aguirre as the suspect. Deputies said Aguirre fled the state shortly after the shooting, prompting a coordinated search involving multiple agencies.
Aguirre was located days later in Doraville, Georgia, where local police arrested him without incident. He was booked into the DeKalb County Detention Center, where he remains while awaiting extradition back to South Carolina.
He faces several serious charges, including murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien, and possession of narcotics (third offense). Deputies said the investigation remains active as they continue reviewing evidence and interviewing witnesses.
The killing has left Gustavo’s family and the Greenville community grieving the sudden loss of a young man whose life was taken far too soon. Loved ones gathered at the scene in the hours after the shooting, and investigators said they were able to notify his family quickly. The sheriff’s office has asked anyone with additional information to come forward.
