In the early morning hours of July 11, 2025, the life of 17-year-old Carizma Fox, a Black female from Waterbury, Connecticut, was tragically cut short. Just a day after commemorating the fourth anniversary of her brother's death by gun violence, Carizma found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. She had gone to a convenience store on Willow Street for snacks when a heated argument broke out among a group of people nearby.
As the disturbance escalated, a gunshot rang out, and Carizma, an innocent bystander, was struck in the chest. Police responded to reports of gunfire shortly before 3 a.m. and found the teenager lying in the street. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Carizma was on the cusp of her senior year at Enlightenment School and was eagerly anticipating her prom. Known for her vibrant personality, quick wit, and a deep sense of compassion, she was a beloved daughter, sister, and friend. Her family remembers her as a nurturing soul who took care of her grandmother. Her sudden and senseless death sent shockwaves through the Waterbury community, leaving her family to grapple with a second devastating loss to gun violence. Her mother, Ella Saunders, arrived at the scene to find her daughter gravely wounded, a tragically familiar scene she had endured with her son four years prior.
The investigation into Carizma's death led police to identify 40-year-old Shamar Atwater of Waterbury as the suspected shooter. Surveillance footage showed a man, later identified as Atwater, brandishing a handgun during the argument before the fatal shot was fired. Witnesses also identified Atwater, known by the street name "Sleep," from police photo lineups. Three weeks after the shooting, on August 1, Atwater was arrested in Watertown and charged with murder, as well as several other weapons-related offenses. According to an arrest warrant, Atwater later admitted to shooting a young woman and expressed remorse. He is being held on a $3 million bond. The arrest brought a measure of hope for justice to a grieving family and a community mourning the loss of a bright young life.
