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Background: News footage of the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Nampa, Idaho (KTVB). Inset (left): Brian Moreno (Nampa Police Department). Inset (right): Joe Flores (Dakan Funeral Chapel).
A jury has found an Idaho man guilty of murder in connection with a shooting that claimed the life of a young man in the parking lot of a well-known restaurant chain. Brian Moreno, 25, was convicted on the charge of first-degree murder for his role in the 2022 killing of 23-year-old Joe Flores. Moreno was among six individuals charged following the incident, which occurred on September 1, 2022, and was described by the Nampa Police Department as gang-related.
According to reports from The Idaho Statesman, Flores was present at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Nampa, Idaho, when a confrontation erupted between members of rival gangs. Court documents referenced by the publication revealed that a cellphone video captured someone instructing Moreno to retrieve a gun during the altercation.
When law enforcement officers responded to the reports of gunfire, they arrived to find Flores lying on the ground, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was declared dead at the scene. Another man, who was also shot, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was hospitalized.
In the months following the incident, the Nampa Police Department announced the arrests of Moreno and five others in connection with Flores’ death. Authorities confirmed that Flores was an “innocent bystander,” tragically caught in the crossfire of a gang-related dispute. Flores, who had no ties to any gang, was remembered by his family as someone with a passion for trucks and the outdoors, and as a person who “always found the good in others,” as noted in his obituary.
Months later, the Nampa Police Department announced Moreno”s arrest, along with five other individuals, in connection with Flores’ murder. The police said Flores was “an innocent bystander, caught in the crossfire” of a “gang dispute.” Flores had no gang affiliation. His family wrote in an obituary that he had a love for trucks and the outdoors, and he “always found the good in others.”
Moreno was the only one of the six men charged with Flores’ murder. Pedro Navarro Jr., 21, was charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder, rioting, and aiding and abetting aggravated assault. He pleaded guilty to the aggravated assault charge and the other charges were dismissed. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19.
Lazaro Vela, 19, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty. His trial has not yet been scheduled. Three other defendants were charged with felonies including accessory to a felony and rioting.
Moreno was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder with a gang enhancement. His sentencing is scheduled for May 8.