On a tragic spring morning in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, 44-year-old Karma Lena Young was shot while walking her dog, Vega, outside her home on March 21, 2019. The female victim was quickly transported to Savannah Memorial Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead the following day.
The investigation into her violent death swiftly identified a suspect, 41-year-old Jose Guzman-Rosario.
Witnesses at the scene reported that the man who shot Young fled in a silver Mercedes Benz. This vehicle was later discovered outside Guzman-Rosario's apartment in Jasper County. Investigators uncovered that Guzman-Rosario, an acquaintance of Young's from work, had developed what was described as a 'disturbing and unhealthy interest' in her and had sent her multiple 'disturbing' text messages.
Approximately an hour after the shooting, authorities in Jasper County found Guzman-Rosario deceased in his home from what was determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Evidence found at his residence, including a cartridge casing that matched one found at the scene of Young's shooting, further linked him to the crime. With the primary suspect deceased, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office concluded that Guzman-Rosario had acted alone in the shooting, and no further arrests were made in connection with the case. In the wake of her death, a foundation called 'Karma's Hand' was established in her memory to raise awareness about the dangers of stalking.
