In the summer of 2016, a young life was tragically cut short within the walls of a downtown Rochester hotel. Brandon Spears, a 19-year-old male, was fatally wounded on June 12th in what authorities would later describe as a reckless act. The incident unfolded on the 10th-floor hallway of the Radisson Hotel, where a dispute between two guests escalated with the introduction of a firearm.
During the altercation, a shot was fired that did not directly strike Spears.
Instead, the bullet ricocheted off the hallway floor, tragically striking him in the upper body. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Brandon Spears succumbed to his injuries, his life ending before it had truly begun.
Months later, in December of that year, an arrest was made in connection with the fatal shooting. With the assistance of the U.S. Marshals, Rochester police took 23-year-old Luis Arroyo into custody. Arroyo was subsequently charged with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon. At his arraignment, Arroyo entered a plea of not guilty to the charges brought against him.
