CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Thirty years ago Monday, a tense standoff played out in the parking lot of the Corpus Christi Days Inn.
Yolanda Saldívar inside her car sat with a gun threatening to take her own life—just hours after shooting and killing Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.
As news of Selena’s death spread, 3NEWS went wall-to-wall with coverage.
Veteran Anchor Joe Gazin was on the desk that day delivering updates as the station’s live feed was picked up by national networks.
“It was an opportunity for us to show that in Corpus Christi we could get it right, we could get the facts right,” Gazin said. “We could get it out to those who were dependent on it, and keep in mind the networks were all taking our feed. It was a heady experience for everyone.”
For former TV-3 Producer Kimberly Townsend the tragedy wasn’t just another news story—it was personal.
She had gone to junior high with Selena and once lived next door to her.
On March 31, 1995 Townsend was sent to the Days Inn to cover the developing situation.
Then she was rerouted to the hospital where doctors were fighting to save the singer’s life.
“I went in there and the family was just devastated,” she recalled. “And then I actually started crying because I knew that my friend had passed away, or something awful had happened to her.”
Before Selena became “the Queen of Tejano” she was an emerging local artist with a growing fan base.
Carlos Lopez Owner of Magic 104.9 saw it firsthand.
He launched his Tejano radio station in 1989 just as Selena’s career was taking off.
“I want people to understand that we had greatness here in our community, and we still do,” Lopez said. “The highest thing you can obtain is the love of the public, and she was able to obtain that.”
Three decades later, Selena’s influence hasn’t faded.
Her music still plays, her impact on Latin Music and culture is still felt. In Corpus Christi her name remains synonymous with talent, passion and the undeniable love of her fans.