On a summer evening in Worcester, Massachusetts, the life of 36-year-old Jason Mayhew, a White male, was tragically cut short. On June 21, 2025, Mayhew was found lying on the sidewalk along Southgate Street with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency responders arrived at the scene near the Southgate Apartment Building and quickly rendered aid before rushing him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
An argument that began at or near the apartment building
escalated and spilled out onto the street, culminating in the fatal shooting. The Worcester Police Department launched a homicide investigation that swiftly led to a suspect. Within a short period, 26-year-old Antonio Canales-Martinez of Worcester was arrested in connection with the shooting.
Initially, Canales-Martinez faced a series of charges, including armed assault to murder and assault and battery with a firearm. Subsequently, a Worcester County grand jury returned an indictment for manslaughter. At his arraignment in Worcester Superior Court, Canales-Martinez pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on $100,000 cash bail.
Remembered as a devoted family man and a skilled heavy equipment operator, Jason Mayhew was a lifelong Massachusetts native, born in Framingham and raised in Wrentham before making Worcester his home. He leaves behind two sons, a fiancée, and two future stepsons. Those who knew him recalled his adventurous spirit and his deep love for his children, with whom he enjoyed fishing.
