In the early morning hours of August 22, 2020, the life of 25-year-old Priscilla Vasquez was tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence in the Melrose section of the Bronx. A mother of three, she was standing with friends on the sidewalk in front of a public school on East 152nd Street near Courtlandt Avenue at approximately 5:00 a.m. when the unthinkable happened.
Friends and family described Vasquez as a kind-hearted and friendly person who was a licensed cosmetologist and also worked for the city's parks department. They do not believe she was the intended target of the shooting.
Witnesses reported that a man wearing a mask and a hoodie approached the group and fired multiple shots. Priscilla Vasquez was struck in the back of the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. The gunman appeared to fire indiscriminately into the crowd before fleeing. The sudden violence left her loved ones in shock and grappling with the loss of a young mother with her whole life ahead of her.
In the days following the shooting, the New York Police Department released surveillance footage to the public in an effort to identify the person responsible for Priscilla Vasquez's death. The video showed a suspect running from the scene with a gun in his hand. Investigators also asked for the public's help in locating a dark-colored Chevrolet Traverse with Pennsylvania license plates that was believed to be connected to the incident. Despite these efforts and the circulation of the suspect's description, no arrests have been announced in the case. The motive for the shooting remains unclear, and the person who took Priscilla Vasquez's life is still at large, leaving her family and community searching for answers and justice.
