In the early morning hours of the day after Christmas in 2021, the life of 31-year-old Terench Joseph Santana was tragically cut short in a fatal shooting in the Bronx. The incident occurred around 4:05 a.m. outside a deli near East 168th Street and Morris Avenue. Santana, a new father, was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. He had been living in Astoria with his girlfriend and their infant daughter but frequently returned to the Bronx, a place his family had urged him to avoid
out of concern for his safety.
The violence of that morning claimed another life, that of 40-year-old Sergio Santana. Sergio was shot in the neck, arm, and back and was transported to Lincoln Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. When police moved his body, they discovered a gun underneath him, suggesting a possible struggle or an attempt at self-defense during the encounter. The motive for the shooting remained unclear in the immediate aftermath, leaving a community to grapple with the sudden and violent loss.
In the days that followed the double homicide, the New York Police Department made an arrest in connection with the killings. Clifton Savage, a 40-year-old resident of the Bronx, was taken into custody at his home. During the arrest, authorities also discovered a large quantity of narcotics. Savage was subsequently charged with murder and manslaughter for the deaths of Terench and Sergio Santana. It was revealed that Savage had a lengthy criminal history, with 19 prior arrests dating back to 1997. His most recent arrest before the shooting had been for cocaine possession in June 2021.
The loss was deeply felt by Terench Santana's family, who remembered him as a kind and caring person who always looked out for others. He had been working seasonal jobs with UPS and DoorDash and was on the verge of securing a permanent position with UPS. His untimely death left his loved ones devastated and searching for answers about the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting.
