Chalino Sanchez and the Death Note: Who Really Killed Chalino Sanchez

Chalino Sanchez and the death note he received are some of the most chilling things caught on camera. In musical history, the name Chalino Sanchez looms as a harbinger of the mesmerizing and unsettling world of “narcocorridos,” a genre christened in the tempestuous realm of “drug ballads.” In this realm where offending the wrong people can be very bad, the strains of folk music meld with veracious verses, unraveling tales of drug traffickers, the enigmatic cartel, and the desolate lawlessness shrouding the tapestry of Mexico.

The “Corrido,” a musical genre that took its fledgling steps in the mid-1800s, burgeoned as a vessel to recount the valorous escapades of the indomitable “Valientes” – men whose bravery echoed through the ages.

Yet, within this melodic tapestry, Chalino stood as the virtuoso who would orchestrate a seismic transformation within the musical realms of Los Angeles and Mexico. His innovative twists upon the venerable corrido tradition cast an indelible hue, birthing an astonishing legacy.

Astonishingly, whispers affirm that half the melodies echoing across Mexico’s airwaves trace their origins to his enduring imprint. As voiced by Abel Orozco, the custodian of El Parral nightclub, the essence of Chalino’s impact reverberates: “Chalino changed everything.”

Clad in the vestiges of a rugged cowboy, a holster cradling a firearm at his hip, he radiated gravitas. Among peers, he was the embodiment of tenacity, unyielding in the face of adversity, occasionally resorting to force. Notably, his wealth burgeoned to an astonishing $6 million, an achievement he made before he was 31.

But as we delve deeper into his story, we begin to see the full story.

Chalino’s Haunting Past

Born amidst the obscure tapestry of a small Sinaloan village in Mexico, Chalino entered a world imbued with seven brothers and a solitary sister. At the tender age of eleven, his sister endured a malevolent ordeal – a harrowing tale of abduction, violation, and subsequent abandonment. This sordid event would birth an oath of vengeance in Chalino’s heart.

“El Chapo Perez,” a local figure, was one of the culprits. When fate finally unfurled an opportunity, Chalino’s hand sought retribution in the form of a point-blank shot, ending Perez’s life. A pandemonium of gunfire ensued, during which Chalino, wounded but resolute, eluded the maelstrom, vanishing to the alleyways of Los Angeles.

In the embrace of the United States, Chalino toiled as a farmer before being lured back to the vortex of Mexico. This realm beckoned him to partake in the perilous trade of immigrant smuggling alongside his brother. But this business ultimately failed, and his brother was killed.

Chalino was then detained and given an 8-month sentence for misdemeanor offenses.

The Verses Born in Captivity

Within the confines of incarceration, Chalino metamorphosed into a bard of dark tales, weaving the lives of criminals into lyrical tapestries. Upon his release, he embarked upon a journey back to Los Angeles, beckoning a band to etch his melodies into the fabric of sound.

Yet, an audacious decision saw him assuming the mantle of a performer, his music spiraling across the tapestry of Spanish communities with a contagion akin to wildfire.

Adorned in his cowboy garb, Chalino’s presence became an incendiary force, fueling fervent gatherings that teetered upon chaos. Such tumultuous performances etched their finales amidst police intervention and venue damages, an allegory of his uncontainable spirit.

Chalino Sanchez and the death note is a tragic story

A pivotal juncture arrived as a seemingly innocuous Quinceañera devolved into an anarchic crescendo. A lone inebriated soul leaped from the crowd, brandishing a firearm. The ensuing exchange of gunshots rents the air, culminating in a fatality and a trail of wounded souls.

Within the chaos, Chalino emerged both wounded and renowned, his persona enshrined as a “Valiente,” an epitaph that stoked the flames of his growing cult of admirers.

A Deadly Confrontation

120 miles east of Los Angeles in the desert city of Coachella, Chalino was giving a performance at the Plaza Los Arcos restaurant and nightclub on January 25, 1992. According to reports, Chalino was scheduled to take the stage at 10 p.m. 400 individuals were present when the event center reached its capacity at about 7 o’clock.

Chalino started taking song requests from the audience while he was performing. Eduardo Gallegos, 32, a local jobless mechanic from Thermal, California, asked for “El Gallo de Sinaloa” just before midnight while under the effects of drugs and alcohol. Then Gallegos leaped onto the platform and fired a. 25-caliber pistol at Chalino. Chalino responded by removing his 10 mm pistol from his waistband and starting a gunfight.

In addition to striking Chalino’s lung twice in the chest, under his armpit, with one of Gallegos’ initial four shots, accordionist Ignacio “Nacho” Hernandez also took a bullet to the thigh. Shots from Chalino accidentally wounded 20-year-old Claudio Rene Carranza in the major artery of his right leg after missing Gallegos. Afterward, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital declared him dead.

As they briefly chased into the crowd below, Sanchez and Gallegos started shooting at the other. Around seven additional persons were reportedly struck during the exchange, which saw nine to fifteen rounds fired.

A spectator pulled Gallegos to the ground before shooting him in the face with his own weapon. Gallegos and Sanchez were sent to Desert Regional Hospital in Palm Springs with serious condition listings.

After spending 11 days in the hospital, Chalino Sanchez was freed from custody for self-defense.

After being treated for his injuries, Eduardo Gallegos was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in jail.

English- and Spanish-language publications, as well as ABC World News Tonight, covered the shooting. Despite only having one old-fashioned, non-narcotic song named “Nieves de Enero,” Chalino saw success with his sales and started receiving airtime.

Doors had to close for his upcoming Los Angeles performance at El Parral at 6 pm, five to six hours before he was scheduled to take the stage.

 Chalino Sanchez and the Death Note

The culmination of Chalino’s odyssey reached its zenith on May 16th, 1992, and was enshrined in history as the terminal stanza of his life’s symphony. Amidst a rapturous audience in Culiacan, the visage of swaying cowboy hats bore witness to a moment that would resonate through time.

A note, a harbinger of doom, was tendered to Chalino, an enigma forever entwined in the epithet “Death Note.” Upon its parchment, sinister symbols mingled with an unspoken menace, a declaration that echoed beyond the realm of melody.

The moment Chalino Sanchez received his death note from a member of the audience. You can watch the video here.

With the resilience that defined him, Chalino read, wiped his brow, and relinquished his unburdened song.

The Murder of Chalino Sanchez

After his final performance, Chalino embarked upon a fateful journey, accompanied by kin and the veiled embrace of darkness. As Chevy Suburbans intercepted their path, the serenade of power and deception resonated through a single badge’s command: “My comandante needs you.”

In a desperate bid to avert tragedy, Chalino’s offerings of bribery met cold resistance. And thus, he surrendered, his fate sealed within the clutches of malevolence. Hours later, a sinister tableau unfolded – a man abandoned in a ditch, wrists etched with the mark of bindings and the chilling shadow of two gunshots piercing the canvas of his skull.

It was Chalino Sanchez, his melody silenced forever.

Who Killed Chalino Sanchez?

The clamor of speculation echoed in the wake of Chalino’s demise, inscribing a footnote of mystery in history. An investigation veered into a labyrinthine web, where motives remained elusive and suspects obscured. The shroud of corruption, omnipresent in Mexico, choked the flow of justice, transforming the investigation into an impotent epitaph.

Chalino Sanchez continuing to perform after receiving the death note

There are three possibilities of who could have taken Chalino’s life:

Friends of El Chapo Perez

In case you forgot, Perez was one of the guys who raped Chalino’s sister. Chalino killed Perez, but it’s said that many who knew him still wanted to exact retribution for the killing.

Gellegos’ Hitman

The inebriated person who fired at Chalino on stage was Edward. Nothing is absolutely certain, although there has been speculation that he was a hitman hired to kill the singer. Some people think that Gallegos’ associates desired vengeance because Gallegos was finally imprisoned for his crimes.

The Infamous Sinaloa Cartel

A specter of grandeur emerges in the form of the Sinaloa Cartel, an entity that festered in the shadows, manipulating strings of destiny. Chalino’s dalliance with actual cartel members could have branded him a pawn, a tool discarded when its utility waned.

As the pages of history turn, the riddle remains unresolved, an eternal enigma nestled amidst the corridors of darkness.

In the echo of his final note, Chalino’s tale remains a haunting melody, suspended between the realms of the known and the abyss of the unknown. A skilled writer would fathom the depths of this tale, orchestrating a narrative that resonates with the cadence of the extraordinary.

RIP, Chalino Sanchez.

Next, read about The Hartlepool Monkey That Was Hanged for Being Suspected Of Being A Frenchman, and then, if you’re into dark history, read about the Tale of The Soyuz 11 Spaceship and the Only Confirmed Deaths in Space!