A man and his wife were killed in their car close to the County Courthouse in San Diego, California on Wednesday morning, November 13, 2024. The couple had previously sought a restraining order against the alleged shooter, who was later fatally shot in a standoff with police, which also resulted in an officer’s injury.
The deceased couple, identified as Rachael Martinez, 31, and her husband, Jose Medina, 39, were discovered in their car on Union Street, a short distance from the courthouse.
According to authorities, the couple was on their way to a court hearing for a restraining order against the alleged shooter, Christopher Farrell, 26. Earlier in October, Martinez had filed a police report accusing Farrell of domestic violence, false imprisonment, and sexual misconduct.
After Martinez’s report, an emergency protective order was secured and Farrell, then a security guard with Inter-Con Security, was arrested and subsequently dismissed from his job with the Metropolitan Transit System contractor.
The initial shooting took place around 8:20 a.m. Witnesses saw a man approach the couple’s car and start shooting before escaping on foot. Roughly 45 minutes later, San Diego Harbor Police Department officers encountered Farrell about a mile from the initial crime scene, near Kettner Boulevard and Juniper Street.
During this standoff, Farrell reportedly shot a Harbor Police officer in the hip. The officer, who had only joined the department three months prior and was undergoing field training, was taken to a trauma center but is expected to recuperate. Officers returned fire during the encounter, fatally injuring Farrell.
Investigators found a semi-automatic handgun believed to belong to Farrell at the site of the shootout, along with several folding knives, a knife sheath, a holster, a tactical flashlight, and multiple ammunition magazines. His car was found and impounded near 4th Avenue and Ash Street.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl commended the officers for their swift actions, stating that their rapid response likely prevented further fatalities.
Farrell had a brief relationship with Rachael Martinez. Charlene Martinez, Rachael’s sister, expressed during the investigation into Rachael’s alleged sexual assault that Farrell should have been disarmed by law enforcement.
Court documents related to a domestic violence restraining order and a civil restraining order show that Martinez started a relationship with Farrell in August. Martinez’s husband, Medina, confronted Farrell about the affair in late September. Following this confrontation, Farrell allegedly began harassing the couple through persistent calls and text messages. Martinez claimed that Farrell refused to accept that she was married and had four children with Medina, and that he frequently threatened to have Medina arrested.
Martinez claimed that she visited Farrell at his apartment at the end of September to ask him to stop harassing their family. During this visit, she alleged that he physically and sexually assaulted her. She reported the assault to the police from a hospital on October 4, and Farrell was arrested later that day.
Following Farrell’s arrest, both Martinez and Medina obtained restraining orders against him, approved in October court hearings that Farrell did not attend. Additional court documents suggest that he was not properly notified about these hearings. However, he appears to have been aware of the hearing scheduled for the morning of the shooting, during which Martinez planned to request an extension of her restraining order. Tragically, the couple was fatally shot before they could enter the courthouse.
The investigation into the series of events leading up to the shootings continues, with the San Diego Police Department encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
A memorial has been established at the corner of Union and Ash Streets, where the couple was killed. Family members have placed candles and flowers and blessed the area with holy water in a show of love and remembrance.
The couple left behind four children, the youngest of whom is not yet five years old. Medina worked in construction as a drywall team foreman, while Martinez provided private care to individuals in their homes. The two regularly organized family events.
Charlene Martinez and her husband are currently caring for the four children. “They can’t fathom that it’s real. I was up until about 3 a.m. last night because the little ones were restless and crying,” Charlene Martinez said.
Martinez and Medina had been together for 12 years. Medina was the biological father of the two youngest children and he also cared for Martinez’s older two as if they were his own.
