In the quiet community of Winder, Georgia, a life was tragically cut short on a Friday night in November. Jose Tovar-Campuzano, an 18-year-old Hispanic male and a senior at East Jackson Comprehensive High School, was shot and killed on November 4, 2016. The incident unfolded on Rooks Road, where a dispute between teenagers took a fatal turn. Tovar was reportedly attempting to act as a peacemaker in an argument involving the son of 45-year-old Roberto Arellano.
According to accounts from that evening, Tovar and two other young men were at Arellano's residence. Believing his son was being threatened, Arellano emerged from his house with a rifle. A single shot was fired, striking Tovar in the abdomen. When Barrow County sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene, they found Arellano attempting to render aid to the wounded teenager. Tovar was rushed to a nearby hospital in Athens, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries during surgery.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Roberto Arellano was taken into custody by law enforcement. He was subsequently charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with the death of Jose Tovar-Campuzano. Arellano was booked into the Barrow County jail. The investigation into the shooting suggested that Tovar, who was related to one of the individuals involved in the initial dispute, had been trying to de-escalate the situation when he was fatally wounded.
