A Timeline of Loss: Trigo De Jesús Figueroa and the Figueroa Family Heartbreaks

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The concert had gone smoothly. Joan Sebastian, widely celebrated as El Rey del Jaripeo, had delivered his signature mix of ranchera ballads and equestrian choreography. Backstage operations fell squarely on the shoulders of his eldest sons. Trigo de Jesús, born from Sebastian’s first marriage to Teresa González, managed road logistics, equipment, and personal security alongside his older brother José Manuel.

Around 11:30 p.m., the crowd grew volatile near the backstage gate. Witnesses reported that three men demanded entry to Sebastian’s trailer, insisting on photographs and personal access. Trigo refused them entry. Voices rose, physical shoves followed, and one of the men drew a firearm. Security guards and staff scattered as shots were fired into the ground and air.

Trigo ran toward an open field near the perimeter fence. The gunman pursued him, struck him with the weapon, and fired directly into the back of his head. Local police officers stationed around the perimeter rushed to the scene within minutes, but the suspects melted into the dispersing crowd of thousands. Hidalgo County emergency personnel transported Trigo to McAllen Medical Center, where neurosurgeons operated through the early morning hours. He was pronounced dead shortly before dawn on August 27, 2006.