An Easter Sunday evening in Syracuse, New York, turned tragic, leaving a young woman’s life cut short. Eighteen-year-old Alek Kuethping was shot on Westcott Street near Thornden Park on the night of April 21, 2019. Emergency services responded to the scene and transported her to Upstate University Hospital. She remained in critical condition for several days, fighting for her life.
Alek Kuethping, a female, succumbed to her injuries on April 26, 2019, five days after the shooting.
Her death prompted a police investigation into the violent incident that had unfolded on a day typically associated with celebration and renewal. Friends and family remembered her as a vibrant young woman with a promising future.
In the days following the shooting, the Syracuse Police Department made an arrest in connection with the case. Victor Bahati, then 21 years old, was taken into custody. He was initially charged with second-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The immediate reports following his arrest did not indicate that murder charges had been filed, and further details regarding any subsequent legal proceedings, including a trial or conviction, are not readily available in online sources. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Kuethping’s death was ongoing at the time of Bahati's arrest.
