On a Christmas Day that should have been filled with joy, Rafael Cepeda, a 35-year-old male, was tragically killed in Hempstead, New York. He was walking from his apartment to the local train station to pick up his 11-year-old daughter, with whom he was planning to celebrate the holiday. It was approximately 6:25 p.m. on December 25, 2017, when the sound of gunshots echoed on Terrace Avenue.
Police were alerted to the shooting by the ShotSpotter system and upon arrival, they discovered Cepeda had been shot multiple times. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced deceased about an hour later.
The investigation into the senseless killing revealed that Cepeda was an innocent bystander, caught in the crossfire of what authorities described as gang violence. He was not the intended target. The shooters were allegedly aiming at a vehicle they believed to be occupied by rival gang members. Authorities identified two teenage suspects, both alleged members of the Bloods street gang, as being responsible for the fatal shooting.
The first suspect, 16-year-old Shameq Sullins, was arrested on January 2, 2018. He was accused of acting as the lookout. The alleged shooter, 17-year-old Antoine Foster, remained at large for several months. He was eventually located and apprehended in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 20, 2018, with the assistance of U.S. Marshals. Both teenagers were charged with second-degree murder.
Ultimately, both Sullins and Foster were brought to justice for their roles in Cepeda's death. Antoine Foster, the shooter, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. His co-defendant, Shameq Sullins, also pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years in prison. The tragic case highlighted the devastating consequences of gang violence on the community and the loss of a father who was simply on his way to share Christmas with his daughter.
