In the early morning hours of July 19, 2015, a dispute in the West Farms section of the Bronx escalated into a fatal burst of gunfire, claiming the life of 20-year-old Ray Rosello. The incident began with an argument outside a deli on East 180th Street, where Rosello and another man, Samuel Colon, had an ongoing issue. After Rosello swung at Colon, the conflict quickly drew in others, including Alfonso Skeeter.
As Skeeter and a group of friends approached, Rosello retrieved a pistol from
his friend's bag. This led to Skeeter and Colon taking cover behind parked cars while Rosello moved into the street. A gunfight erupted, with both Rosello and Skeeter firing approximately ten shots each. In the exchange of bullets, Rosello was struck once in the back of his right thigh and sustained a fatal wound to his upper back. Despite his injuries, he managed to run towards his home on Vyse Avenue before collapsing. He died in his mother's arms just steps from his front door.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene at approximately 12:45 a.m. and rushed Rosello to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The New York Police Department quickly identified 27-year-old Alfonso Skeeter as the suspect. He was subsequently arrested and faced charges of murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.
In May 2018, a jury convicted Skeeter of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. However, in June 2023, an appellate court vacated the manslaughter conviction. The court found that the prosecution had not disproven Skeeter's claim of self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt, noting that the evidence was unclear as to who fired the first shot and that Rosello was also an active participant in the gunfight. The conviction for criminal possession of a weapon was affirmed.
