In the early hours of Memorial Day, May 26, 2014, tragedy struck on South Mount Street in Baltimore, forever altering the lives of a family and community. Sixteen-year-old Oscar Torres, a young man with a burgeoning passion for art, was fatally shot in the head and torso. The violence that erupted just before two in the morning also left a second individual in critical condition, their name undisclosed to the public.
Oscar, who had left Patterson High School to work and help support his family, was just weeks away from his seventeenth birthday. His family, who are Catholic, had aspirations to return his body to his native Mexico for burial.
The investigation into the senseless act of violence quickly pointed to a suspect, 20-year-old Kevin Simpson. In the days following the shooting, a citywide manhunt for Simpson was already underway in connection with a separate and equally tragic incident. While fleeing from police, Simpson's vehicle slammed into a minivan, claiming the life of 12-year-old Shanizya Taft. This event led to his initial arrest on vehicular manslaughter charges.
While in custody, investigators were able to connect Simpson to the murder of Oscar Torres. Evidence gathered by the Baltimore Police Department led to them charging Simpson with the murder of the teenager, which they described as occurring during an armed robbery. The charges against Simpson grew as the investigation also implicated him in the murder of 27-year-old Martel Jackson, who was shot just two days prior to Oscar's death. Ultimately, Kevin Simpson faced a litany of charges including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, and assault for his role in the string of violent events that shook the city. A memorial of candles, flowers, and a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was created at the scene of the shooting, a somber tribute to the young life that had been so violently cut short.
