In the early morning hours of October 23, 2019, a young man’s life was tragically cut short in a parking lot outside an Allentown, Pennsylvania nightclub. Yaret Y. Rivera, a 22-year-old Hispanic male, was found with a gunshot wound to his chest in the parking area of the Chicago Sports Bar & Grill and Club Gravity on Airport Road. The Lehigh County Coroner's Office later ruled his death a homicide.
Originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, Rivera was visiting the area when the fatal
encounter occurred. The investigation into his death quickly led authorities to two suspects. Walter Martinez, 26, was identified as the alleged shooter and was taken into custody after a standoff in Lower Milford Township. Another man, 24-year-old Anthony Thomas of Allentown, was also arrested and charged with hindering the investigation.
According to law enforcement, the motive for the deadly shooting was robbery. Investigators stated that Martinez and an accomplice targeted Rivera with the intention of stealing a necklace he was wearing as he left the club. This senseless act of violence took the life of a young man described by his family as quiet and humble, who worked as a lab technician.
The tragedy was compounded by the fact that just 15 months prior, Yaret's older brother, Jovannexen 'Jampy' Rivera, was also a victim of gun violence, having been shot and killed in Worcester. Yaret Rivera was laid to rest in Puerto Rico, beside his brother. Following the incident, Martinez faced charges of criminal homicide, robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery.
