In the Bronx, on a Thursday afternoon, September 10, 2020, the life of 17-year-old Kather Werts was tragically cut short. The young man was in front of an apartment building on Hoe Avenue near Crotona Park when he was shot in the head and foot just before 5 p.m. Emergency services rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
Kather, the youngest of eight children, was a senior at East Bronx Academy with dreams of pursuing a degree in
engineering. Described by his family as someone who loved basketball and video games, he was known for his ability to make people laugh. In the days leading up to his death, his mother noticed a change in him; he had become more withdrawn and had returned home with a black eye and bruises after Labor Day, though his friends claimed he had fallen.
The investigation into Kather’s murder led police to release surveillance footage showing two young men wanted in connection with the fatal shooting. The video captured the moments leading up to the attack and showed one of the suspects fleeing the scene afterward. This evidence proved crucial in the investigation.
Authorities later identified one of the suspects as 19-year-old Wesley Torres, who was subsequently arrested. The investigation suggested the shooting may have been gang-related, with Kather allegedly associated with the Doe Ave. Gang and Torres with the rival Sev Way Gang. While an arrest was made, the search for the second individual involved in the tragic death of Kather Werts continued.
