When Selena turned to leave, Saldívar took a gun from her purse. She pointed it at Selena and pulled the trigger, shooting Selena in the back. Selena ran to the hotel lobby for help. She was seen holding her chest screaming repeatedly, "Help me!, I've been shot!". Saldívar chased her and called her a "bitch". Selena fell to the floor and named Saldívar as the shooter. By the time Selena arrived at a local hospital, she was pronounced dead. She was two weeks away from her 24th birthday and three days from her third wedding anniversary with Pérez. Saldívar went to her pickup truck and threatened to commit suicide. The SWAT and the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit were called. She surrendered after nine hours.