A 19-year-old man from El Salvador faces first-degree murder charges in the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old man during a dispute over smoking inside a home, Springfield, Mo., authorities said.
Christopher Giovanni Salazar-Montes was arrested Jan. 28, 2026, at the Cedarbrook Mobile Home Park in Springfield with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force. He is being held without bond in the Greene County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, an upgrade from initial second-degree murder counts filed by the Greene County prosecutor.
Christopher Giovanni Salazar-Montes, 19, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Tuesday night’s fatal shooting in north Springfield. Marvin Rodriquez Sanchez, 26, of Mexico, has been identified as the victim.
Read it: https://t.co/rkVq2YTt9M pic.twitter.com/91374SbDyF
— Springfield Daily Citizen (@sgfcitizen) January 29, 2026
The shooting occurred shortly before midnight Jan. 27 in the 1900 block of North Burton Avenue. Springfield police responded to reports of gunfire and found Marvin Rodriquez Sanchez, suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported to a local hospital, and pronounced dead not long after.
Court documents indicate the dispute arose when Rodriquez Sanchez lit a cigarette inside the residence, angering Salazar-Montes, who later told a witness via text message that he shot the victim in the chest. Investigators recovered evidence including messages confirming the motive.
Salazar-Montes was also on a federal hold from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Authorities describe him as an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, with an immigration “Notice to Appear” found among his belongings. Reports indicate that he failed to appear for a prior municipal court summons in November 2024. The incident marks Springfield’s third homicide of 2026.
🚨 Greene County, MO: Yesterday, Christopher Giovanni Salazar-Montes was arrested for Murder and is accused of shooting a man after an argument about the victim smoking in Salazar-Montes' residence.
Salazar-Montes has an immigration detainer hold.
Paperwork was found from HHS… pic.twitter.com/LVXRGmMLyN
— Illegal Alien Crimes (@ImmigrantCrimes) January 29, 2026
Critics argue stronger local law enforcement cooperation with ICE could have prevented the tragedy had Salazar-Montes been detained and removed immediately after skipping court.
Local officials, including the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, have clarified that ICE holds (detainers) are administrative requests placed at the discretion of federal authorities.
However, proponents of stricter enforcement have pointed to local level decisions that allow or prevent jails from notifying ICE before individuals are released—arguing for greater local cooperation. With such detainers – or with any applicable ICE administrative warrants – local police could help prevent similar incidents by facilitating the detention and potential removal of individuals wanted for immigration violations.
Enhanced coordination on immigration detainers could also help to provide additional local oversight, while addressing community concerns about balancing public safety with perceptions of federal overreach.
