The same day, Saldivar and Selena had an argument over the phone. Selena told her husband Chris Perez that Saldivar could not be trusted anymore. However, Selena did not want to lose her friendship with Saldivar. Selena believed that Saldivar could help her expand her business into Mexico. Selena also needed the missing documents and bank statements, which Saldivar had stolen, for tax purposes. The day after Saldivar was banned from Q-Productions, she bought a hand gun. She told the clerk that she was an in-house nurse for terminally ill patients. She also told the clerk that a patient's family member had threatened her life. Saldivar said she needed protection.
Two days later, Selena asked Saldivar to come with her on a tour of Monterrey, Mexico. Saldivar then returned the hand gun to the gun shop. She told the clerk that her father had given her a pistol. When Selena and Saldivar came back, Selena began asking Saldivar for the missing documents. Saldivar then bought the gun back. Within a week, Saldivar's name was removed from anything that had to do with Selena Etc. Irene Herrera replaced Saldivar as fan club president. On March 26, 1995, Saldivar stole perfume samples that Selena needed and more bank statements in Mexico.
At midnight on March 30, 1995, Selena and Perez drove to Saldivar's motel room. Perez waited for Selena by his pick-up truck. Selena went inside Saldivar's motel room. Selena asked for the documents that she needed for taxes. Saldivar gave her some of the missing documents, but when Selena and Perez arrived back home Selena noticed that Saldivar did not give her everything needed. At the motel Selena demanded the financial papers at which point Saldivar called Selena and asked her to come back to her motel room, alone. Selena was met by Perez who told her that it was too late. Selena then told Saldivar that she would see her the next morning without Perez's knowledge.
On the morning of March 31, Selena drove to Saldivar's motel room. When she arrived, Selena asked for the missing documents. Saldivar delayed and told Selena that she had been raped in Mexico by a gang member. Selena felt bad and took her to a local hospital. There, a doctor and nurse checked to see for any signs of rape. When they were finished, the doctor and nurse took Selena aside and told her that Saldivar was making the whole thing up. Selena, now frustrated, took Saldivar back to her motel room and asked once again for the missing documents. Saldivar began to argue with Selena. A complaint was made from the next room asking the two ladies to stop arguing. Around this time, Selena removed the ring Saldivar had bought her. Selena announced that she could no longer trust Saldivar and Selena tried to leave.
At 11:49 am, Saldivar took a pistol out of her purse. As Selena turned around, Saldivar shot her in the back. The gunshot instantly damaged a major artery near Selena's heart. Selena ran out of the motel room and screamed "Help me! help me! help me!" Saldivar chased after Selena and called her a "bitch". Saldivar was attempting to shoot Selena again, but decided to flee back to the motel room.
Selena ran 392 feet to the motel lobby. She left behind a trail of blood. Selena fell to the floor and asked the clerk to lock the doors, saying "she's going to shoot me again". The staff tried to comfort Selena to get answers on what had happened. A staff member called 9-1-1. Someone in the lobby recognized Selena and screamed "that's Selena!" Selena gave the room number where she had been shot. The information was then given to the local police. By this time an employee noticed that Selena began fading away. He noticed that there was little moaning and moving from Selena.
The ambulance arrived in less than one minute. They ripped off the top portion of Selena's jogging suit. They then put a Vaseline gauze on Selena's wound, which stopped the internal bleeding. At this time, Selena's heartbeat was very slow. A paramedic began CPR so that blood could get to Selena's brain and heart.
Saldivar entered her pickup truck and tried to leave the parking lot of the motel. However, a police officer was already heading that way. The police officer saw Saldivar's car. Saldivar then reversed and parked her car between two cars. The police then blocked the car from leaving the spot. The police came out and ordered Saldivar to freeze, at which point she then put the pistol to her right temple. More police officers tried to get Saldivar to give herself up. They then called the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit and SWAT team.
Around this time, a paramedic tried to start an IV on Selena. However, because Selena lost so much blood, her veins collapsed. This made it very hard to insert an IV. The paramedic then called Memorial Hospital to tell them that they have a shooting victim and that they could not insert an IV.
Navigation Boulevard was shut down by local police as they investigated the crime scene. At noon, the paramedics arrived at the hospital. Doctors and nurses tried to revive Selena. When they opened her chest, they found there was no blood at all. They gave a blood transfusion. Selena was a Jehovah's Witnesses and did not believe in blood transfusions, but Selena was unconscious and therefore unable to tell doctors her religion. After 50 minutes, doctors believed the damage was too severe and Selena was pronounced dead at 1:05 pm local time. They announced the cause as cardiac arrest and extensive bleeding. Selena was only two weeks away from her 24th birthday and two days away from her third anniversary to Chris Perez.
During the second hour, the FBI had communication with Saldivar. They tried to convince Saldivar to give herself up. One of the negotiators tried talking to Saldivar as if the shooting were an accident. Saldivar began believing that she did not mean to shoot Selena. She then stated that the pistol was meant for herself; she was going to commit suicide. She stated that the "gun went off". Around this time, a press conference was ordered. Assistant Police Chief Ken Bung and Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr, made an on-air announcement about the murder. Saldivar's name was still not being named in the media.
During the third hour, an autopsy was performed. This was because of the growing media interest. The autopsy revealed that the bullet entered Selena's lower back. It passed through Selena's chest cavity, which instantly damaged Selena's right subclavian artery. The bullet then exited the right upper chest. The autopsy also revealed that Selena's heart, fueled by adrenaline, pumped her blood out. The doctor said that if the bullet had hit Selena a millimeter higher or lower, the wound would not have been as severe.
During the fourth hour, Saldivar exclaimed that the gun was meant for herself. She also stated that when Selena tried to open the door, she asked her to leave the door closed. She said at that instant the gun went off. During the sixth hour, Saldivar agreed to give herself up. However, a police officer had a rifle. This caused Saldivar to panic and she went back to her truck. Saldivar gave herself up during the ninth hour. As police drove Saldivar away, fans cheered and cried tears of joy nearby.
MG 34
The "Maschinengewehr" 34, or MG 34, was a general-purpose machine gun. It was developed in Nazi Germany. It was first made and accepted in 1934. It was first given to soldiers in 1935. It fires the 7.92 x 57mm Mauser cartridge.
It was designed to be able to be a light machine gun and be able to do other things as well. This was an early example of a general-purpose machine gun. When it is being used as a light machine gun, a bipod can be attached to it. If it is being used for other things, it is put onto a tripod and is belt-fed. In a battle, the bipod version was used mostly. This turned the MG 34 into an infantry support weapon. Later, the MG 34 started to be used less for the MG 42.