The Days Inn: The motel where Selena was shot dead

This is the motel where Selena Quintanilla Pérez was shot dead.

It is located at 901 Navigation Boulevard in Corpus Christi, Texas.

At the time of the shooting, it was called the Days Inn. Today, it operates as the Red Roof Inn.

Background

Selena was a Mexican American singer whose career grew rapidly in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She gained millions of fans during this period, including a San Antonio native named Yolanda Saldívar.

Saldívar contacted the singer's father, Abraham Quintanilla, to seek permission to establish an official fan club. Although he initially ignored her phone calls, he eventually agreed after her persistent requests.

Over time, the fan club expanded, and Saldívar became friends with Selena.

By 1994, Saldívar's influence had increased so much that the family selected her to run Selena's boutiques and beauty salons.

Employees reported that she was erratic and treated staff poorly, but the singer and her family largely ignored these complaints. From their perspective, Saldívar was a loyal friend with a proven track record.

Financial discrepancies

In 1995, the family discovered financial irregularities in both the fan club and the boutiques. Saldívar had misused the company credit card for personal gain and taken money from the organization's bank account. When these details emerged, the Quintanillas terminated her employment.

Selena was initially hesitant to sever ties with Saldívar, whom she considered a close friend. However, her perspective changed when she noticed inconsistencies in Saldívar's story.

Following her dismissal, Saldívar purchased a .38-caliber revolver at a local gun shop and claimed that she had been raped.

Shooting

On the morning of March 31, 1995, Selena agreed to pick up Saldívar from the motel and drive her to the hospital. During the medical examination, the singer became angry when Saldívar contradicted her previous statements about the alleged rape.

The two women began arguing after returning to the motel room.

The dispute escalated when Selena stated she no longer trusted Saldívar and demanded the return of any remaining financial documents.

Saldívar grabbed her concealed gun and pointed it at Selena. When Selena turned and tried to escape, Saldívar opened fire. The bullet struck the singer in the lower shoulder and punctured an artery.

Fatally wounded, Selena fled toward the motel lobby. As she ran through the parking lot clutching her chest, Saldívar pursued her with the weapon, shouting obscenities.

Saldívar retreated after the singer reached the lobby.

Selena went inside and urged the staff to keep the doors closed, saying she feared her assailant would shoot her again.

Selena collapsed to the floor. Before losing consciousness, she named Saldívar and identified the motel room where the shooting occurred.

Death

An ambulance arrived in less than two minutes, but paramedics struggled to keep Selena alive. When they began treatment, her blood pressure was so low that her veins had collapsed. She had lost a large amount of blood because the bullet severed one of her main arteries.

At Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital, the medical team spent an hour trying to save her life, but the damage was irreparable.

Selena was pronounced dead at age 23 around 1:05 p.m. on March 31, 1995.

Arrest and trial

Saldívar was arrested following a nine-hour standoff with police, during which she sat in her truck and threatened suicide.

At her trial, Saldívar claimed the shooting was accidental and that she had intended to take her own life. The jury rejected this defense.

Seven months later, on October 23, 1995, Saldívar was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder. The judge sentenced her to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years.

She is incarcerated at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas.

Her first parole hearing took place on March 27, 2025. The board denied parole, citing the violent nature of the crime, which demonstrated a "conscious disregard for the lives, safety, and property of others."

Her next hearing will take place in March 2030.